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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28633548">The Night of the Flame</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_HeartLapidot/pseuds/I_HeartLapidot'>I_HeartLapidot</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Reincarnation [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Owl House (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Additional characters to pop up, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Cuddling &amp; Snuggling, F/F, How did we get here?, Post-Episode: s01e19 Young Blood Old Souls, Recontextualization</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 11:42:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>36,814</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28633548</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_HeartLapidot/pseuds/I_HeartLapidot</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Amity Blight can't believe she's made it this far. With the combined pressures of a sadistic mother who wants to mould her into a carbon copy of herself, her own desires to be respected and loved, a pair of twin older siblings who love making her life hell, and her feelings for Luz Noceda, the densest human to ever exist, it's a miracle she hasn't snapped like a piece of honeycomb.</p><p>However, when multiple disasters strike within days of each other, will she finally crack? Or will things start going her way at last?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alador Blight/Lilith Clawthorne, Amity Blight/Luz Noceda</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Reincarnation [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2121141</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>127</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Phase One: Mayhem of the Manor</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello there. (General Kenobi! You are a bold one.) </p><p>So, I've watched a lot in my time, but this series is what finally got me writing fanfics. </p><p>Hot take: The Owl House &amp; Amphibia &gt; Steven Universe &amp; the She-Ra reboot.</p><p>If you saw this fic before, I realised I had major edits to make, and they're now made. Try not to hold past mistakes against me, please.</p><p>I'm not perfect, and I rely on comments to improve. Let me know what you think was done right, and what was done wrong.</p><p>Either way, I hope you all like it.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Pathetic. This is why real strong women have a moral responsibility to beat their men, and why they should fear us! The sooner you bunch of peons figure that out --"</p><p>"Heard about enough of this!"</p><p>
  <em>Record scratch, freeze frame.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! You ever had one of those moments where you think, "How the hell did I get here?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIbMbXjbW98">Press play.</a>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Stars, what happened to me? I was on top of Hexside! Had myself a nice little outlet with the kids at the library, I mean come on; they got in the new Otabin book early just so I could read it to them, because they knew I loved that series just as much as the kids! But now look;</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I'm about to save Goof, Idiot and my dummy from one of the many useful idiots that plague the Boiling Isles!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Ahhhhhh. You know, now that I think about it, my whole life; even before the brightly coloured comet of human-shaped energy came into it, has been a constant series of What The Fuck?! moments.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>That, uh, that was my out?</em>
</p><p> </p><p>On a particular Tuesday morning, at 5:30 a.m., Amity Blight sat in front of her dresser's mirror, combing her hair as she forced out another yawn. She was just wearing her underwear and a crumpled oversized shirt; different from her usual light pink frilly nightgown. The Boiling Isles' sun wasn't even half up yet, showing both how early Amity had to get out of bed and the fact that the colder months were coming. Thus, the light orbs she'd casted covered the room in a soft glow.</p><p>This morning, however, she took the time to examine her features. They were all sharp; sharp ears, sharp jawline, sharp glare, sharp nose. Even her roots were jagged, even if they were getting a bit long. Appropriate, she supposed, for someone so prickly by nature.</p><p>"Here we go again..." she mumbled before yawning once again, as she reached to put her triangle stud earrings in. (She had Boscha to thank for convincing her to pierce her ears at thirteen.) Once that was done, she reached for her Otabin plushie on her bed. She'd had it ever since her second birthday, and for a long time she would play with him every day, and hug him to sleep every night. And there was a certain spot at the back of his neck that she had left her own scent, that she always smelled at least once a day; it was comforting.</p><p>Once she'd done enough, however, she returned him to the hiding spot. Once she'd reached a certain age, her mother had made her stop playing with him due to it being 'too childish'. That same night, her father had returned it to her, but made sure to tell her directly that she had to hide him well if she did want to keep him. And so she did; despite still sleeping with him every night. (Yes, she locked herself in her room every night, just so she could keep sleeping with her stuffed animal.) </p><p>Ten minutes later, Amity made her way to the dining table in her Hexside uniform, with breakfast already prepared for her. At the table sat her father, eating his own breakfast. He was an early riser by nature (unlike Amity or the twins), and thus was also ready for the day before the sun had even risen. </p><p>Even seated, Alador Blight was a force to be reckoned with. He was a tall and sturdily built man, with auburn hair complete with a well-groomed beard covering his entire jawline and lip, though not his cheeks. He was almost always seen in black dress pants and a white button-down shirt under a black vest, black tie around his neck like some human buisnessman. He had yet to put on his usual black overcoat, but his cane, made out of a highly durable wood was always at his side. He was the current holder of the family sword, Silencer, a weapon passed down from parent to child near six hundred years, and Amity dreamed about owning it one day.</p><p>As usual, Ed and Em weren't there. Because they didn't have a zero period study hall in school like her, they would always sleep in another hour before they had to get ready for school, like the slippery creatures they were. With the high efficiency that came with constant practice, Amity bolted down her breakfast and washed it down with a tall glass of cold puffer slug milk. (It tasted a lot better than it sounded.) </p><p>Her father looked up and cleared his throat, making her pause. "Have a good day at school," he said, in his usual neutral voice. Amity mumbled a quick "thanks" before heading out the door, schoolbag over her shoulders.</p><p>Once on the road, Amity pulled out a human artifact she'd bought from Eda -- an 'iPod', it was called. A portable record player that needed things you stuck in your ears, and an electricity spell every now and then to work. Scrolling through, she settled on "Every Night" by one Paul McCartney. </p><p>As she made her way along the dirt paths to school, she wondered how long she'd done this routine. Waking up extremely early, only to struggle along harder than most could imagine. It was getting harder and harder to handle her classes, especially with her mother pushing her mind to the brink, on top of extra credits and time with her new friends. In fact, she was getting less than six hours of sleep a day now.</p><p>Not to mention her hopeless crush on a certain human who rewrote the book on oblivious. </p><p> </p><p>Zero period, and the school day so far, had been the usual for Amity. She was now in front of her locker, changing out books for her next class, when she caught a glimpse of the Emperor's Coven poster stuck in there, along with her photos of the twins and Luz. </p><p>She'd hated being helpless that couple of days when Luz fought the Emperor. When she did tell Amity the whole story, Amity had looked at her poster of Lilith and just barely resisted the urge to rip it apart, or burn it to cinders. Something told her she'd regret it hugely if she did. </p><p>She'd thought long and hard about it, and found she wasn't bitter towards Lilith because of the curse; she was in over her head and did everything she could to fix it -- something Amity would have done herself. No, it was because of how she'd used Luz -- <em>her</em> Luz, as little more than a living shield. Logically, it had made sense, but her damn emotions were still getting in the way. And it just felt wrong to let go of it all.</p><p>On top of that, just because the Emperor's Coven had revealed their true colours, it didn't mean her dreams weren't attainable; more than anything, Amity Blight had a deep desire to be respected. Not just that, she wanted to be <em>respectable.</em> And the Emperor's Coven couldn't be the only way to that goal, could it?</p><p>Amity's mind found itself slipping into an old dream, one that she'd never told anyone about, outside of Willow. Once, she had confided it to one of her peers, and the little brat had gone and blabbed about it to everyone. So many others, though none more so than Goof and Idiot (better known as Edric and Emira respectively), had laughed at Amity for weeks, calling her "Captain Amity of the Emperor's Coven," until she just wanted to crawl away, hands over her drooped ears. It was a true test of her restraint to just shrug and pretend not to care...</p><p><em>Yeah, and when I'm the most powerful witch around, and I've made lots of money, I'll apply to the coven proper. I'll earn that garb. Then I'll come back and get Mother, arrest her, and she'll be thrown into the Conformatorium. She'll die there...</em> that thought always made Amity's mouth curl upwards in a predatory smile, her budding adult fangs showing through.</p><p>At the far end of her fantasy, Amity pictured herself, successful, respected, the most powerful witch on the Isles, with a palisman of her own, lots of loyal friends, and plenty of snails. And... a family. Yeah... a family of her own. A beautiful wife who adored her, who'd share adventures with her, and kids, maybe. She knew she'd be a good mother. She would make sure they wouldn't go through what she did.</p><p>Although, that image now seemed to contain a certain human girl in the wife position. And she did love the way "Amity Noceda-Blight" sounded on her lips. That same daydream, however, quickly proved to be very embarassing. </p><p>It was always hard to summon an abomination at first, but once you mastered it like Amity (and Alador), you could do it almost without thinking; commands were subconscious thought. She kept an abomination close to her almost all the time, mostly to carry her things. And couple that with constant thoughts of a certain human?</p><p>So she was in front of her locker, daydreaming about her dummy, when that same girl's voice cut through her thoughts. "Hey, Amity. Is this your abomination?" says Luz awkwardly. </p><p>At first, Amity thought that she was daydreaming so hard she was starting to hear things in Luz's voice, but when she turned around and saw what had happened, her head dropped into her hands.</p><p>Her abomination was standing there, as innocent as could be, with Luz Noceda under its arm. Once Amity looked up again, she saw that it was now holding Luz up to her with both arms, as if she'd ordered it to go get her. For all she knew, she probably had.</p><p>"Yeah... it is..." groaned Amity, embarrassed to be stuck in this situation. "Abomination, put her down."</p><p>Luz was set gently back on the floor, and the abomination quickly disappeared after that. "Did you miss me that bad?"</p><p>"Kinda," Amity explained. "It's common for stressed out people to mess up their magic. And abominations doing things in their creator's subconscious without supervision is a sign of powerful magic, so there's that, I guess." </p><p>"I can tell you're stressed," Luz interjected, immediately sending Amity's heart racing. Her human had a tendency to care too much about things. Amity loved that about her, but didn't want her to know how much of a mess she was. "I mean it; you look like serious shit. How much sleep do you get?"</p><p>"Ah...five hours a night, maybe six if I'm lucky?" Amity replied slowly, inwardly hoping Luz wouldn't freak out. The way Luz winced immediately told her that that was the wrong answer. </p><p>"<em>Five to six</em> - mierda, how are you even functioning this well?! Dios mío..." Luz cried. </p><p>"I know..." Amity sighed. "Five o'clock starts suck. And energy rejuvination potions can only get you so far," she added, fighting back a yawn and shaking the half full bottle in question. "But, I <em>have</em> been getting better grades for it."</p><p>"Your mental health is way more important," Luz insisted. "Don't your parents give you any kind of study cutoff time?"</p><p>"Well..." Amity said awkwardly, rubbing the back of her neck. "My mom kind of, sorta, makes me stay up until midnight to keep studying."</p><p>"Amity, it doesn't matter how important your grades are to you, it shouldn't make you sick," Luz reiterated like the stubborn, loving girl she was. Clearly, she got it from her biological mother. "Get more sleep, even just an hour, OK?"</p><p>"Luz..." Amity sighed. <em>I'm not worth the bother.</em></p><p>"Amity, come on!" Luz smashed in, clinging to her arm tightly. "Please."</p><p>Amity looked away, blushing. <em>I don't deserve a girl like this.</em> "I...I promise I'll be fine. I've made it this far, I can make it a bit further," she said. She knew her mother would probably force her awake to study even more, while reprimanding her for putting laziness over success. She'd done it several times before, in fact. "I'm sorry, Luz. It's been super hard lately, that's all," Amity reassured, while avoiding the fact that Luz herself was one of the four reasons why.</p><p>Luz smiled before pulling Amity in for a short, tight, clingy hug, making said witch blush more brightly than any human light bulb. "Okay, I trust you," she sighed.</p><p>Amity smiled back, nervously. She didn't feel right about being cared for, but she knew Luz cared about her a lot, something she wished her own mother -- or anyone -- would do. But it did feel good, giving and receiving hugs. Especially from the incredibly cuddly Luz. </p><p>"Anyway, Amity, if there's anything I can do to help, and I do mean anything, let me know," Luz added as she pulled away, smiling like the dummy she was. </p><p>Amity considered the offer for a moment...wait...no. Luz couldn't agree to something like that... could she? But it <em>was</em> Luz. Only one way to find out...</p><p>"I'm gonna ask a crazy question, then. I hope it's okay."</p><p>"P-lease, Amity. Crazy is my middle name!" </p><p>"I thought that was Eda, but okay. Do you like girls? As in, romantically?" Wow, that sounded awkward, didn't it?</p><p>"Well, I've liked both before. Found out properly a couple years ago. There was this one hot, mysterious guy my second day on the Boiling Isles, but turns out he was a creepy puppet, and I stabbed him with a toy sword," Luz explained.</p><p>"Really?" That <em>was</em> something her Luz would do. </p><p>"Long story. Anyway, it was only a day, at most. But yeah; I'm okay with both. Why do you ask?"</p><p>"Because, I've got a crazy idea to help deal with my distractions and get better sleep, but I didn't want to make you uncomfortable." <em>This can't possibly work, can it?</em></p><p>"Lay it on me, Amity! I'd love to help."</p><p>It was now or never. After a few more moments of silence, it came out. "Well, what if we kissed?"</p><p>"Us kissing?" Luz replied, shocked at the thought.</p><p>Amity tried to take it back, to guage the waters. <em>Could</em> she be on board with it? "Yeah, see, it <em>was</em> a crazy idea when you say it out loud, isn't it?"</p><p>"Us... kissing..." A dopey, lovestruck grin slowly crept its way across Luz's face. That idea was starting to grow on her. </p><p>Unfortunately for Amity, she didn't notice the grin on her dummy's face, due to her inability to look her in the eyes. "Us kissing! What's wrong with me? Could you imagine that?" Nervous laughter had laced her voice.</p><p>Noticing Amity's eyes on her again, Luz quickly tried to throw it off, thinking largely the same things. "Yeah... I know, ha ha... I definitely wouldn't want to kiss you!" It was only seconds later that she realised that that was the <em>absolutely wrong</em> way to go about it.</p><p>"Oh, well, <em>sorry,</em>" Amity replied, with an air of slight disgust. "I didn't realise that it was such a horrible option. Now I've got classes to get to; see you later."</p><p>As Amity walked away, Luz was quick to slip into berating herself. "Oh, you <em>dimwit!</em>" she groaned, as she thudded herself in the head before headbutting the wall. "What is wrong with you?!" </p><p> </p><p>The rest of the day was uneventful. That night, Amity was supposed to be finishing an abomination project, so she needed to focus, otherwise her parents -- or more accurately, her mother -- would start to notice the slight dip in her most recent grades. She was tapping her foot to the beat of another human song, "Fill My Little World" by The Feeling. Unfortunately, human music was making her think of her human again.</p><p>It had only been a couple of months since she'd taken a broken bone for her dummy and former best friend. The energy comet in the form of a human girl that had crashed through her life was just stacking up titles; her human, her dummy, her fearless champion, her Luz. With her unwavering optimistic spirit and carefree attitude to life itself, Luz Noceda had stormed right into Amity Blight's heart, and built herself a nest there, like the owlet she had become under Eda.</p><p>In hindsight, it was oh-so-easy for Amity to fall so hard and fast for Luz; she'd done so much for Amity purely because she had a heart of gold, and her silliness had bought unbridled joy back into her life. Maybe she was just attracted to silly, childish girls who knew how to take care of her. </p><p><em>A Blight must never present themselves as having any weaknesses. Perfection must be maintained at all costs.</em> Wait, was that her mother's voice? Or some locked away part of her mind? </p><p>The house was deathly quiet, making it the perfect time to get some work done. She scanned through her textbook again to find that elusive passage on viscosity altering spells, and when she finished reading, she found that she'd been doodling on the paper without thinking about it. As if her memory of how she and Luz first met had flowed out onto the paper.</p><p>She slammed her head into her desk, letting out the mother of all groans. Why was it, that when she thought about golems meant to serve only as tools of her will, she thought of her human dummy?! She wanted to laugh and groan at the same time; why was she this hopelessly gay? And now she couldn't stop thinking about wedding dreams -- "Luz and Amity Noceda-Blight."</p><p>She needed to purge the fluffy feelings out; Amity turned off the music, set her pen down on her desk and reached into the drawer to retrieve her diary, placed there after Goof and Idiot had found its original hiding spot -- with Luz's reluctant help. </p><p>However, that's where it started going wrong. The simple book, with a hand drawn cover and all the intimate thoughts and feelings about her human dummy spilled all over its pages like a contaminant, wasn't there. </p><p>"Amity Elara Blight!" Oh, shit. Amity's heart slammed into her throat like the Titan slamming his front door, and she whipped her head around to stare wide-eyed at her mother, her least favourite person in the universe. No competition for that title.</p><p>Odalia Blight (nee Graves), despite her clear anger, looked as prim and proper as ever. Her dark green hair was pulled into a perfect bun atop her head with no hair out of place, and her dark purple dress perfectly pressed and tidy, as always. Her face was stiff and serious, though it was rarely anything other. Her sharp, olive eyes landed on Amity's. There was no warmth in them; they were poisonous through and through.</p><p>"Do not react like that. It is improper of a young lady." Amity made herself swallow past the colossal lump in her throat, trying to slow her heart, currently thudding harder than the Titan's. Her mother's eyes narrowed just a touch. Blast.</p><p>"Now, what is this?" Between her forefinger and thumb, as if it was a used tissue, Odalia held Amity's diary. </p><p>Amity felt herself pulling a grim face. Odalia didn't have even a fragment of an altruistic bone in her body, if she would go through her daughter's belongings like that. But worse, there was no way she hadn't read the contents; her secret had to be out by now, to the one person in the entire Isles she didn't want to find out. Amity'd much rather fight Belos alone than have her mother find out her crush.</p><p>"That's my diary, mother," Amity grit out, in a voice equal parts anger and shame. She wondered if a fresh punishment was coming. The last one she'd got had resulted in her not being able to sit down for days. </p><p>When Odalia spoke again, it was with a voice so dangerously low that Amity felt her legs begin to tremble. "I know it is. Who is 'Luz?' Infatuation over this <em>human</em> girl?" Amity could barely hear those words over the terrified buzzing running rampant through every part of her skull.</p><p>It felt as if an ice glyph had been drawn directly on her heart; now she was beyond fucked. "Mother... I..." </p><p>"No wonder you have been performing poorly in your classes recently. Most of the time was clearly spent pursuing pointless feelings for this <em>novelty.</em> I am very disappointed in you, Amity." </p><p>Each word felt like a white hot needle in Amity's skeleton, sealing her fate further. There was nowhere to run or hide. There was no getting out of this one. It was too late to lie in any way, shape, or form. Amity's entire chest felt as though it was being crushed by a huge, invisible hand. <em>No... this can't be the end...</em></p><p>"I cannot believe that I gave birth to you; no flesh and blood of mine would ever associate with such disgusting lowlife creatures." </p><p>Amity's heart sank below her, deep into the Boiling Sea as every atom of her being smarted with shame. She didn't think that about Luz; but she couldn't imagine telling her mother that right now. </p><p>"Do you have nothing to say for yourself?" Odalia shouted. </p><p>Amity felt her throat constrict harder than ever before, and she could only shake her head... for the second time in her fifteen year life, she'd gone and chickened out. Chosen placating her beast of a mother, over her own feelings.</p><p>"Well, this is what I think of this human," Odalia drawled with absolute contempt as she began to tear the diary apart. </p><p>And it was this that finally got Amity's vocal chords working again. "Please don't..." It sounded as pathetic as Amity felt in that moment. </p><p>"No! I'm not wasting time on you to allow you to become infatuated by this novelty! It's going in the trash!" </p><p>With sudden ferocity, Odalia began tearing pages out of the diary and throwing them into the bin. Each tear felt like one of Amity's few remaining heartstrings had been torn out. Once the empty covers were in the can, Amity bowed her head, tears welling up in her eyes. </p><p>"Do you want to end up like your siblings? Wasting your time with needless juvenile behaviour? If you concentrate on your studies and don't get distracted by nonsense, you could make a life for yourself! Do you want to throw it away like those two did?"</p><p>"I..." </p><p>"How dare you speak back to me!" Amity hadn't realised it was a question where you aren't supposed to give an answer. "You are going to break off all communication with this human and the other lowlifes she associates with, and focus on what really matters! Is that understood?"</p><p>Now, Odalia wasn't the only one getting angry; Amity was also starting to see red. It was outrageous... unfair... how dare she do this? The painful memories of when she lost Willow, all the cuffs and blows and beatings -- from Boscha and her gang as well as Odalia -- were coming to a head. </p><p>"No..." </p><p>"What was that?" It was low, dangerous.</p><p>"No! I won't do it! I won't let you use me like some glorified doll!" Amity still couldn't say where she found the anger, but she was holding on like never before. "You can't make me sit here in a cage like a prized animal! You hear me?! I won't live your life!"</p><p>A split second later, Amity felt herself recoil as if she'd been shot. Her head impacted on the floor, and she tasted her own blood as her head swam. With another huge wave of trembling and panic washing over her, she got on her hands and knees, arms struggling to hold her up. She looked up, to see her mother lowering her hand, slowly. She had hit her. </p><p>Primal panic overcame Amity as her expression shifted to pure fear. "Please, mother! I'm sorry I spoke out of turn! I didn't mean it! I am your loyal daughter!" She might not have made sense there, but it didn't matter either way.</p><p>"I am your mother, Amity. I gave you your life, and I <em>will</em> tell you what to do with it. You will learn your place. And pain will be your teacher." </p><p>Odalia drew a spell circle. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> No, no, no, no! I'm not thinking about that! I refuse to let myself think about what happened next! All you guys need to know is that outside of the one permanent thing she did, she was held back only by the fact that I was her favourite play set piece, and she didn't want to damage me forever. But there were a hell of a lot of things she could do that wouldn't cause permanent damage, and she did damn near all of them! I wasn't able to walk for two days after that!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Luz was worried. Very worried.</p><p>She hadn't seen Amity in two days. Amity missing school was not like her in the slightest, and it made Luz's insides churn harder than any amount of lactose could hope to do. </p><p>Not to mention how her feelings were starting to become different in regards to Amity than anyone else. She loved Eda, King, and even Lilith and Hooty to an extent, in the same way she loved her mom. Family. And she also loved Willow and Gus, in a different way altogether. The first real friends she'd ever had. But Amity?</p><p>The more she thought about it, the more realisations dawned on her and the more she liked the idea. She liked Amity. As in, <em>a lot</em>, a lot. And now her imagination was running wild -- well, more wild than usual. What would it be like? To be with Amity, in that way? To hold her small hand in her own larger one, to kiss her on her lips and hear her squeak, to cuddle up on the old sofa watching kids' movies together? </p><p>It would be perfect. She could already see most of those things in her mind's eye. Especially Amity and herself sobbing together at <em>WALL-E.</em></p><p>It wasn't as if she didn't like girls. Both she and her mami were bi, through and through, with no real preference either way... and she was suspecting Eda was the same... and it wasn't any fault of Amity. She was beautiful -- Luz's eyes did function -- and she could see Amity malfunctioning whenever she spoke a word to her lately. Grom, the library, Hexside's halls, Grudgby, Luz knew about all of it. Not to mention how she was on board with kissing Amity when she bought it up.</p><p>No, it was her. Because, who wanted to even be friends with the girl too weird for the wierdos that did (admittedly) creepy tricks with her eyelids, let alone date her? The one who was too much of everything, who people just didn't like? </p><p>What could people see in her, exactly? Let alone the girl who had intelligence outstripping everyone else, an athletic prowess, a soft, caring heart, and the beauty of an angel? </p><p><em>Oh cramity, I </em>do<em> have it bad for Amity.</em> She slumped, cursing herself for not seeing it before. All those fanfic writers whose work she loved were disappointed in her. And not just because she'd used a few of their phrases in her work.</p><p>But, this <em>was</em> a new realm, right? Different rules? Here, she could fit in because nothing fit in anywhere -- just yesterday, she'd seen a gay werewolf couple giving each other a kiss before they left for work. That was something you'd only see in the deepest depths of the internet where she'd came from. Not to mention, she was pretty tame by comparison to all the glorious insanity. In fact, if not for her rounded ears and methods of magic no one would even give a damn.</p><p>Luz was fine with being an outlier -- that wasn't an issue. It was that she was a social, loving person by nature and wanted to give love to others. Now that she did have other outlier friends and was living out her high school AU dreams, did she really want to risk one friendship because the friend in question was just so smart and cool and cute and loving? Oh, cramity indeed.</p><p>Luz paused her love ramblings for a moment to look around where she was currently lying down in. Her bedroom, which once was just a spare room where she slept on the floor in a sleeping bag, now looked like she's been there for years. Considering her situation, it only made sense to get some permanent things.</p><p>Yes, the desk drawers always had to be slammed shut and yanked open with all possible force to get them to budge. Yes, the bookshelf was missing an entire side. Yes, the bedframe had been broken and mended at least five times, twice of which were courtesy of Eda. Yes, she still missed her video games and all the other electrical items she couldn't access here. But, it was starting to feel more and more like home, because that was The Owl House by nature. (Luz, King and Lilith all had to talk Eda out of building a second nest for Luz.) </p><p>Both Luz and Eda had agreed to let the whole cursing thing slide; Lilith clearly had no idea what would happen, and Eda <em>had</em> been a real delinquent brat back then -- well, more of one than now. And if Luz could forgive Amity almost getting her dissected, she could forgive Lilith using her to get to Eda.</p><p>Luz had found herself daydreaming all throughout the afternoon about the idea Amity had planted, lasting all the way until Eda called her down for dinner. Forcing her fantasies of singing in the kitchen whilst making brownies together into the back of her mind, Luz went downstairs slowly, her mind still buzzing with this new realization of her feelings for Amity.</p><p>Luz slumped into her chair, mind still whirling. Lilith and King were sitting in their respective chairs, Lilith slowly taking sips from a mug of tea -- Thornroot, her favourite. Eda looked up from the pot she was stirring with Owlbert, and taking notice of her kid. Her gold and grey eyes blinked owlishly.</p><p>"What's going on, kid?" she asked. "Does Hooty need to get another 'friend'?" </p><p>"A NEW FRIEND?!" Hooty burst in, sticking his head through the kitchen doorway. "IS IT A BUG, HOOT? THEY'RE SO CRUNCHY, HOOT HOOT! THERE WAS THIS ONE TIME, WHEN I TRIED TO MAKE A BUG FRIEND, BUT I ATE IT AND THEN I -- OW!" </p><p>Lilith had summoned her white staff, and bonked him on the the beak. "Go away," she dully said, remembering all the hassle he'd given her. </p><p>"OKAY, OKAY, HOOT!" Hooty was indignant. "NO ONE HERE'S ANY FUN. OW! HOOT!" He retreated to his spot.</p><p>"Now you're getting it!" King whooped, as Lilith sat back down. </p><p>Eda just nodded, still looking at the slumping Luz. "So, what about it?"</p><p>"We're not torturing anyone." Luz shook her head. "I couldn't stop thinking about Amity," she admitted, twiddling her fingers.  </p><p>Eda raised an eyebrow as Lilith looked up from her tea. "Thinking about her, how?" </p><p>"I've just realised I've got a crush on her." Wow, that felt liberating to say out loud. Luz still had no idea what to do next, but it felt good to get it out there.</p><p>There was deafening silence for a few moments as everyone else processed it. </p><p>"I wasn't expecting that," Lilith muttered, taking another sip of tea. </p><p>"Yeah, I could swear that Mint Chocolate Chip was gonna make the first move." Eda shrugged.</p><p>"Wait, what?!" Luz blinked, and just gawked at Eda. She couldn't have heard that right. </p><p>The silver haired woman all but glared at her surrogate daughter. "Are you telling me you <em>didn't</em> notice that she's crazy about you?" </p><p>"I guess I did, but I thought that she had feelings for someone else!" It wasn't even a lie; she had thought that at first. </p><p>"You can't be serious, kid! I see her less often than Lily, and even I see it!" Lilith didn't say a thing; she had been hiding in the loft almost all the time, only venturing out when needed or when no one else was home. </p><p>"People don't have crushes on me, Eda! They just can't!" Luz threw her hands into the air, before bringing them down again with a thud.</p><p>"Whaddya mean, Luz?" asked Eda, baffled where this was coming from. </p><p>Luz sighed. "I did see all the things Amity was doing around me, but I guess I kinda blocked them out. Where I come from, no one actually wanted to love me romantically. I've... had bad experiences with dating in the past, not just because I love listening to synthwave and metal and focused more on fantasy books with convoluted backstories than the latest trend online or what the latest slang word was."</p><p>"I didn't get half of that," Eda replied, "but it's their loss for not getting you."</p><p>"Thanks," Luz shot back. "But yeah, that's why. I can't believe I didn't fall for her earlier; she's beautiful, loving, caring, smart..." </p><p>Eda cut her off with a laugh. "Wow, you've got it fucking bad, kid!"</p><p>"Edalyn, language!" Lilith cut in. </p><p>"Please, that one was tame, Lily!" Eda shot back. "Besides, you're on the Boiling Isles, kid. Different rules, different people. You really like that girl?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>"Okay, so we can kidnap her, throw her in a room here, and you can bring her food and gifts every day until you're sucking face. That's a good way to get her to love you." </p><p>"Yes!" agreed King, clearly into the idea.</p><p>Luz felt her heart stop for a few seconds. "What?! No!" she shouted. What was Eda thinking? </p><p>"Edalyn, come on!" Lilith scolded at the same time.</p><p>"What?!" Eda threw up her hands. "That's how it went for me and my first girlfriend!"</p><p>"I don't think you want to put her through all the bad decisions in our pasts! Do you not regret <em>any</em> of it?"</p><p>"No?" </p><p>Luz threw back her head and groaned. This wasn't going that well, was it? "Maybe I just shouldn't take that risk." That drew the attention of both the sisters. </p><p>"Bah," groaned Eda. "A life without risk is boring. That how you want to live, kid?"</p><p>"Yes," agreed Lilith. "If you want love, you've got to fight for it. Believe me, I'd know." </p><p>"Huh, I guess," Luz grumbled. </p><p>Eda frowned at the glum look on her kid's face and rested a hand on her shoulder.</p><p>"It'll be okay, kiddo," Eda insisted. "Now, how about some food?" </p><p>A tiny smile pulled at her lips; she knew Eda was trying to to help through distraction. "Okay." </p><p> </p><p>Luz woke up early the next morning. Before the sun rose, in fact.</p><p>She knew Amity had a zero period, and that meant she would be up far earlier than most people. To that end, Luz had also gotten out of bed that early - something she'd never do on her own - and was waiting for her now.</p><p>She saw a figure shuffling along with her hood raised, and hunkered in like she was the loneliest girl in the world. And a hint of bright green only confirmed who it was.</p><p>"Amity!"</p><p>She froze stiff at the call of her name, and seemed to hunker in even more. Luz, ever the empathetic girl, slowly moved over to her, and noticed the off thing immediately.</p><p>Amity's hair had been re-dyed; her lovely auburn roots (lovely?!) were gone, now the same shade as the rest of her hair.</p><p>"Amity, did your mom make you re-dye your hair?" As soon as the sentence left her mouth, Amity's head flinched as if she'd been slapped, hunkering in even further than before, like she was trying to take up the least amount of space possible. That had to be it.</p><p>"Yes," she answered after a long, painful moment, just as the bell screamed. Her voice was almost dead inside. "I have to go." </p><p>Luz grabbed her shoulder, preventing Amity from moving away. "Wait, Amity, don't go. Talk to me."</p><p>"I'm not talking about this right now." She pulled away and ran inside, leaving Luz to watch her go from the bottom of the stone steps with a frown.</p><p>Her stomach was churning like she'd drunk a gallon of milk once again, not only because of worry for Amity, but also anger at her mother. She'd never met the ominous Mrs. Blight, but she knew already without a doubt that she didn't just dislike her; she <em>hated</em> her.</p><p> </p><p>Amity could hardly pay attention to her classes that Friday. She was mad at herself, for all kinds of reasons.</p><p>Of course, Luz would be able to put two and two together and see that she was upset; she always was the first couple of days after having her hair 'fixed'. Along with everything else that had happened.</p><p>Why did she have to be so loving? Too loving for her own good? It had almost gotten her mentor petrified, for Titan's sake! Not to mention her being stranded! </p><p>The whole day, Amity moved like a soulless machine from one area to the other, unable to get her mind and heart to stop arguing. </p><p>It hurt, in more ways than just one. And she had never felt so weary; her abominations moved with more animation.</p><p>As the final bell screamed, and with dark clouds thick in the outside air, Amity left her class, only to quickly get pulled into an empty storage room.</p><p>Luz's beautiful face was in front of her. And it was the last face she wanted to see right now.</p><p>"Amity, what's going on?" asked Luz desperately. "You vanish for two days, and you're back with your hair dyed and acting like the Terminator? What happened?" </p><p>Amity didn't know why she thought she could get out of doing this, but now she had to do it the hard way. </p><p>"I can't hang around with you anymore, Luz." It was the most painful thing Amity had ever been forced to say. More painful than the constant throbbing in her face.</p><p>"What?!" Luz was incredulous. "Why? Did I --"</p><p>"It's not you, it's me. I don't think I'm comfortable in situations like the ones you get into."</p><p>Luz couldn't believe it; the girl she was crushing on was trying to cut herself off? It was like Earth all over again.</p><p>"So yeah, I have to stop being around you." That wasn't even a lie on Amity's part, because horrible pain had been promised her if she didn't. </p><p>Luz could <em>see</em> the conflict in Amity's gorgeous eyes -- this wasn't genuine, right? "Amity, talk to me. What's really going on?"</p><p>Amity had become more hostile, just like that. "Can't you just respect my wishes?"</p><p>"Was it your mom? Did she put you up to this?"</p><p>The way Amity's left eye twitched was all the proof Luz needed. "Luz... stop..."</p><p>Luz slowly reached out. "Hey, maybe I don't understand your pain... but my mom says..."</p><p>Amity just slapped her arm away like slapping a stinging insect. "Stop. You're right; you <em>don't</em> understand. And your mom isn't fucking in this realm, remember? You might not see her ever again! Now get out!"</p><p>Amity knew that that would hurt Luz. She <em>wanted</em> to take all the words back, but she couldn't. Not if she wanted to get rid of the pain. </p><p>The glass veil shattered.</p><p>Deafening silence filled the empty space, as she and Luz stared back at each other with eyes the size of dinner plates, gold glaring with pain and masked fear, and tear filled brown looking with shock and hurt.</p><p>Amity's heart dropped below the Boiling Sea once again as Luz's lips began to tremble and her eyes turned glassy (like they had when she lost Eda that time at the Emperor's castle). Amity wanted to give an explanation upon seeing it, but for the life of her, she couldn't get her mouth to form the words she wanted to say.</p><p>Luz burst like a soap bubble, choking on a sob before she turned and ran, wrenching the door open. It slammed against the wall, the bang echoing through the small room as she fled down the hall. Once she was out of earshot, Amity just let out a wordless scream and crumpled to the ground.</p><p>It really was like Willow all over again. </p><p><strong>"Why am I so good at being bad?!"</strong> she wailed out in anguish. </p><p>A soft blue glow on her head seemed to snap her out of it; the illusion placed on her had come off, and she had no intention of putting it back on. Not to mention the pain coming from it right now. </p><p>Summoning a handheld mirror, Amity looked at her face again, only this time with the added red mark that spread like a foul liquid over her left eye and cheek, from her hairline all the way down to her jawbone.</p><p>A burn scar.</p><p> </p><p>"Luz? Are you okay?" Willow asked, once she'd run into Luz in the hallways, shuffling along and devoid of her usual energy.</p><p>"Let's just go," Luz whispered.</p><p>Not wanting to question it, Willow nodded, and they walked along together. But those eyes were unmistakeable.</p><p>However, when they got to the front doors in Hexside's foyer, they both stopped to look outside. Brilliant, jagged streaks of purple lightning crackled through the early evening sky, making loud crashes and bangs as they went.</p><p>"Oh, that's just great," Willow mutted as she gazed out. "Blastning."</p><p>"Is that bad?" muttered Luz, devoid of all her curiosity, or energy.</p><p>Willow ignored it... for now. "It's like boiling rain, but highly unpredictable, and known for shutting down all magical communication. So we can't call for help, and I don't know any shield spells. Unless you found a glyph for them?"</p><p>"No..."</p><p>"Right," the plant witch sighed. "That means, we're all stuck here. Let's go find Gus, and wait it out, 'cause going out in that is crazy." </p><p>The two turned, and walked back inside. </p><p> </p><p>The beast glided soundlessly down from the rafters and landed lightly on her feet. Her night vision was now far better than most witches and demons; she could easily make out her targets. </p><p>The beast had been creeping through Hexside with exaggerated care for the past few hours. She had given her word to her masters -- the course of action was clear. And the lightning keeping them all here was a welcome addition. Not to mention the school's security wards working in her favour now.</p><p>Now, the beast glided through the halls... silent and invisible as a wraith...</p><p> </p><p>Unbeknownst to all of them, however, another person <em>was</em> outside, right on top of the building. </p><p>"You've always thrown everything you could at me!" Amity yelled into the sky, as if directly to the Titan. "Well, I can take it! All of it! I always have! <em>And now I can give it back!</em>" The lightning crackled around her. "Go on! <em>Strike me!</em> You've never held back before, why start now?! Come on!" There were a few more tantalising moments of silence, but the lightning didn't hit her. </p><p>Amity just crumpled to her knees, wailing with pent-up anguish. "Why?! Why do you want me to suffer so much?! What did I do to you, and everyone else in my life?! Why do you and the rest of the universe hate me?! Why... can't you just... end it?!"</p><p>She knew she was a Blight. But the tears had finally got to her. Those blasted warm, salty drops were streaking down her face as she knelt there, in a storm that refused to end her.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Phase Two: The Siege of Hexside</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Amity was disappointed in herself; she'd failed to just end her suffering using natural causes. Now she planned to use a different route. The tall balconies that overlooked Hexside's main space had been installed with invisible barrier spells to keep people from jumping, but it was an absolute joke. At least five determined individuals had used the vast height to take the easy way out this year alone.</p><p>Now she was going to be the sixth.</p><p>She'd arrived at the vast circular area, trying to decide what tune she should whistle as she plummeted to her death, when she heard screaming. It was a scream of fear, straight from hell itself. And something about it made her want to hide. </p><p>After concealing herself behind a tall bin, Amity heard another scream -- coming from a balcony opposite to, and above her position. A pair of kids, one wearing a Beast Keeping uniform and the other Illusions, and both with the expression of someone who'd just been completely possessed by Grom, were running towards the third floor balcony.</p><p>Before they got there, however, the Illusions student seemed to freeze completely, as if petrified, and collapsed, with a handful of spines the size of wooden spoons sticking out of his back.</p><p>The Beast Keeping student, however, reached the edge and frantically scrabbled to get over the barriers while rambling with equal fear.</p><p>The angle Amity was at made it impossible to see what was chasing the two, but she could clearly see the student climb up, and over, falling to her death.</p><p>Strangely, Amity didn't feel a thing. Normally, she'd be dead stop shocked and appalled, but knowing she almost wound up doing the same thing, she felt nothing.</p><p> </p><p>'This was unsettling' would be the understatement of the decade.</p><p>Luz, Willow, and Gus, who'd been trying to figure out the best way to wait out the lightning, had also bared witness to the suicide. From ground level.</p><p>The poor bastard was dead by the time the trio reached the body, and the thing that had caused it was long gone. And it must've dragged away the other student -- he was nowhere to be seen either.</p><p>Luz wasn't really one to get scared, but she really was now. "Something weird is going on, guys! Not my usual weird, a different, not normal kind of weird!"</p><p>"Yeah, this isn't our everyday weird either," muttered Willow.  </p><p> </p><p>Eda was not prepared.</p><p>Her big sister, the same person who'd run herself ragged trying to fix her mistakes, was currently looking through the cupboards for something. But that wasn't the real surprising thing.</p><p>It was because there were cookies and muffins baking in the oven, giving the entire house a pleasant smell of nuts, honey, and chocolate. Their dad frequently wasn't home when they were kids, so he'd taught Lilith how to cook for herself and Eda. </p><p>Lilith pulled a fresh container of Thornroot tea out from the cupboard, grumbling about how disorganized it all was, just like the Owl House itself. The old tin kettle was whistling, and Lilith carefully poured herself a mug of tea. </p><p>And then there was her clothing. Along with a fairly standard black skirt and blue slippers, she was wearing an extremely oversized navy blue hoodie that absolutely surrounded her, draping around her slender frame's shoulders. The sleeves were rolled up to her elbows where they would've covered her hands, and the bottom hem of it was at least four inches below her hips. </p><p>It was far too domestic. </p><p>"Well!" Eda loudly announced, making Lilith jump. "Who killed Lily and put this mommy in her place?"</p><p>"Edalyn!" Lilith cried out. "I didn't expect to see you back so early!"</p><p>"Yeah, well, blastning does tend to cut plans short," she replied, then her tone turned far more careful. "What's this really about Lily?" Eda's voice was like it used to be when they were little, and Lilith had come home crying about another bully. The memories cut into Eda's heart.</p><p>"What are you talking about?" Lilith went to go back to work, but Eda stepped into her peripheral vision. And Owlbert hopped on her sholder, letting out a sad hoot and nuzzling her neck.</p><p>"Come on, for months you hide in a corner of the attic like armed thugs broke in, and out of nowhere you're baking for us?"</p><p>"Edalyn, I'm--"</p><p>"Don't apologize, I'm getting sick of hearing it every day from you."</p><p>Lilith was about to say that she still hadn't been forgiven, but sharply punched that thought down by reminding herself that maybe she <em>shouldn't</em> be. That she was the monster, not the victim. "I want to show you all that I can, and will, be better."</p><p>Eda blinked like the Owl Lady she was.</p><p>Lilith felt tears build at the corner of her eyes, but fiercely fought them down. "I haven't forgiven myself, even after all this time. I've been hiding because I know you don't want to look at me, and I can't look at you without remembering it all," She sighed, as if the galaxy rested on her shoulders, showing how broken she was. "I'm not a good person, Edalyn. I never was; I'm still shocked you or Luz haven't just slit my throat in my sleep and gotten it over with. I know you want to." </p><p>"What?!" Eda was aghast. "I don't want to <em>kill you,</em> Lily! I would've let the petrification beam hit you if I did!"</p><p>"How?! After all I've done to you, Luz and everyone else --" </p><p>"You think you're the only one of us with a bad past? Lily, you remember my massive bounty, right? You can see the huge, framed wanted poster in the living room?! It ain't just for wild magic, I tell you that! I've been a smuggler, a thief, a con woman, a gambler, a narcotics dealer, I've even killed a good handful of people! I ain't proud of any of that! And I didn't even bother to fix any of it on my own, not like you!"</p><p>Lilith was lost. She became even more lost as Eda pulled her into a hug, and Owlbert wrapped his little owl wings around her neck as much as he could.</p><p>"I don't hate you, sis," Eda whispered. "I'm still bitter about you almost killing my kid, but I don't want you hurt. I just want my big sis back, damn it." She pulled away to look Lilith in the eyes. "And if you're a monster, I am too. <em>We're</em> monsters. We've got to own it. And make sure our kids don't make the mistakes we did."</p><p>"...our...kids?" Lilith whispered back.</p><p>Eda snorted. "Yeah, Luz is my kid, and the little Blight's your kid." She realised she was still holding Lilith's shoulders, through the big hoodie -- it <em>was</em> really soft. "Human clothing, huh?" </p><p>Lilith chose to shelve the comment about Amity -- and her own immense regret over breaking her trust twice. Even if they weren't that close to begin with. "It's more comfortable than anything else I've worn." She was hugging the fabric to her.</p><p>"Let me try it on," Eda demanded, reaching out. </p><p>Lilith swatted her hand away. "No! Get your own, this one's mine." </p><p>A warm, fuzzy feeling shot through Eda, and not the sickly one that she felt when she felt motherly towards Luz. "'Kay. Now, how about those muffins?" <em>Welcome home, sis. I missed you.</em></p><p> </p><p>Luz, Willow and Gus were slowly making their way through the halls of Hexside, trying to find a good spot to hide. But Willow had insisted repeatedly that they keep moving until the lightning had stopped. </p><p>And the obvious choices were out; closets, lockers, a few air ducts, and even the doors leading to the Detention Gang's lair, had been cut open like cans, knocked in as if they'd been opened by battering rams, split in two like lightsabers were a thing in the Boiling Isles, or just completely destroyed.</p><p>Not to mention the complete silence just made it all the more eerie. And the few corpses.</p><p>Gus was starting to panic a little. He was starting to hyperventilate, in fact. And it got really bad on seeing a couple truly grisly corpses that weren't just leaking blood, but also spinal fluid and brain matter. </p><p>Luz, whose mami had told her exactly what to do when someone was having a panic attack, grasped Gus' shoulders and spoke calmly to try and return him to this world.</p><p>"Gus, listen to me. In through the nose... and out through the mouth. Just feel everything around you... and breathe." </p><p>It didn't take long for him to stop panicking, but he still was afraid. "How can you say that when we're gonna get grabbed?"</p><p>"Well, it's not like it's all bad," Luz replied, ever the optimist. "We still have lights, right?"</p><p>"Yeah," agreed Willow, trying to see the positive. "Here, look, and water is still flowing out of the drinking fountains!" </p><p>However, mere moments after she proved this point, the water stopped flowing. The lights cut out shortly after that, plunging them into lower light conditions.</p><p>The natural light was dimming; Luz had been in the Boiling Isles for so long that the daylight hours were shortening. If it was past sunset, that meant it was beyond half past five now. </p><p>"Oh, rats," Luz muttered as the lights went down.</p><p>"That's it, man!" Gus wailed. "Game over, man! Game over!" (Luz would later tell him he'd just unknowingly quoted a human movie -- the best horror film she'd ever watched.) </p><p>"No, we'll find a way out of this!" insisted Willow, trying to slap some sense into him like she usually did. "Get a grip!" </p><p>She was about to say more, when a set of loud sounds rumbled down the hall and magical bolts were being cast between the walls, in a ring shape.</p><p>Willow noticed what it was immediately. "The electrical wards! Go! Go! Go!" </p><p>The three sprinted down the blackened hall to hide from the incoming electric ring. Luz and Gus managed to make it round the next corner, but Willow was too slow; it caught her.</p><p>She let out a high-pitched scream as the electrical ring carried her a good few paces as it zapped her ass with a few thousand volts, before depositing her on the ground. </p><p>"Willow!" Luz screamed as she and Gus rushed to their unconscious friend's side. </p><p>Turning her over, they could feel she still had a pulse, but one of her glasses' lenses was heavily cracked from where her head had landed on it. </p><p>This was bad. <em>There's somethin' in this school waiting for us, and it ain't no witch. We're all gonna die.</em></p><p> </p><p>Boscha held her breath as the sounds of thudding footfalls approached... and passed by. With a quick hand signal to the little group that had also made it into the vents with her, they all began to move forward, hobbling along like midget impressions.</p><p>It didn't take long before they reached a passage heading directly upwards, with moonlight visible near the very top.</p><p>"This'll get us to the roof," Boscha whispered. "We can activate our shield spells and go get help from there..."</p><p>She began to climb -- an easy task for a Grudgby player of her skill. Everyone else followed suit, trying not to look down. It <em>was</em> a long way. </p><p>They'd made it about halfway up when the problems started erupting like underwater geysers in the Boiling Sea. When one of the Healing Track students went to grip a handhold he shouldn't have, the damp piece of wood broke loudly in his hand when it tried to take his weight. </p><p>He fell, shouting in fright before another boy caught him with a summoned abomination hand.  </p><p>Everyone in the vents had froze. A few moments of deafening silence passed them by. "Do you think it heard that?" Bo whispered, timidly.</p><p>Before anyone could answer, the school itself did. At regular intervals along their path, sharp pieces of stone were slamming diagonally against each other, with what looked like enough force to shear through metal.</p><p>"Security doors!" Boscha shouted. "Move or you'll be cut in half!" </p><p>Timing it right, she let go of her hold to avoid the door she was about to climb past, just in time to land on the one closing below her.</p><p>She heard something that sounded like "I can't!" in a panicked girl's voice, before she heard a bitten-off, choked cry alongside the stone doors slamming shut.</p><p>"Are you all fine down there?" Boscha shouted through the stone. "Did anyone get caught?" </p><p>As if in answer, a large flower sprouted from the intersection of the door below her, and vines began to push the door open. Boscha quickly moved to assist the vines, and she was soon greeted with the grim face of Amelia.</p><p>"We lost Cat," she said, in a dead voice. "Looks like we've got some forcing to do."</p><p>Boscha grimaced. This thing was good. Almost too good, in fact, for a wild beast. Unless it wasn't?</p><p>Before she could continue that train of thought, there came a loud clanking sound. Barely registering Amelia's whimper, Boscha looked up.</p><p>She saw the doors above her opening, a huge claw pushing each apart. </p><p>Boscha made a sound that was part laugh and part sob, and suddenly her panties were wet, and not in the good way... she could feel the urine running down the inside of her thigh.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Still, could be worse.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Willow was a lot heavier than she looked. It could have something to do with the fact that she worked out every morning, or maybe it was just her larger frame. Either way, it meant that Luz and Gus could only move slowly as they dragged her unconscious form through the halls. </p><p>There didn't still seem to be anywhere good to hide, considering how empty the school was. This thing must have been very, very good. So, all they could do now was keep moving and hope to evade the thing in the school, until the lightning stopped and they could go get help.</p><p>Luz had lit a light glyph above her head -- the sun had completely set by now. And despite the huge amounts of nerves present in the group, with every sense alert for movement or sound, they still didn't see the beast lurking around them.</p><p>Gus had no warning, none whatsoever. One moment he was walking along the dark corridors, the next something huge had grabbed him and flung him against the locker line so hard the wind rushed out of him, in a stinking white mist, into the cold night air.</p><p>Gasping like a beached trash slug, he tried to shout out, but something else was there... holding him down, something that had one huge hand pressing his chest, and could easily crush him like a rilgid-nut. </p><p>And the other one swiftly punched him in the head, and everything went black...</p><p>Luz's heart was thumping harder than a nervous rabbit. And without Gus' help, she was staggering under the weight of Willow in her arms. </p><p>Next thing she knew, she was being flung across the hall away from Willow by a huge hand, light orb snuffing out.</p><p>In the dim light, Luz could see a huge silhouette in front of her, and dragging Willow's limp body. And it was getting closer.</p><p>Primal instincts overcame the human, and she sprinted. </p><p>These corridors were not well lit - besides the blastning, only the light from la Luna provided vision to the area because the torches weren't active. Despite that, Luz's breath was visible in the darkness as she ran through the halls. It was <em>cold</em>, now that the weather deflection spells were down. Her uniform offered little protection, despite West Montana's winters allowing her to get used to cold weather.</p><p>Luz lengthened her strides, fleeing like a hunted animal. It felt like discovering the Owl Beast all over again -- except this time, it wasn't her fault and the thing chasing her wasn't her Mom. She dared to look back, and saw the huge, dark shape right behind her.</p><p>Turning forward again, Luz ran faster, harder... only for her to skid to a halt just before the huge wall that marked a junction in the corridors! </p><p>Arms flailing like a windmill and multitudes of English and Spanish swear words flying thought her head, Luz turned right, skidding a little, and took off again. Another one of the beast's spines lashed at her. Her breath was burning her chest as she gasped in the freezing night air. </p><p>The sound of chasing thuds had stopped as Luz ran on, only for a flurry of spines to come her way. Most missed...</p><p>...but one got her in her right leg. She still didn't stop moving, though. Even as her leg gave out from under her, Luz sailed forward, only for her head to connect solidly with the floor, and the universe slid sideways and into blackness...</p><p> </p><p>When Luz came to, the first thing she felt was that something smooth was lying against her cheek. As if she'd fallen asleep on the kitchen floor; wouldn't be the first time. She went to move, but swiftly found she couldn't move her arms. They'd been bound at the wrists with rope. Her eyes flew open - she saw darkness and not much else. The floor she was laying on was just concrete. The air was damp, stale and cold.</p><p>She was in some kind of boiler room. And all she could see was black.</p><p>Luz went to shout something, but all that came out was muffled -- she'd been gagged. She moved her legs and felt they were tied at the ankles.</p><p>The memory of the horrible beast chasing her, and catching her, flashed across her mind. </p><p><em>It's capturing us! We've got to get outta here!</em> She wiggled around, trying to get her arms free, but she was bound very tightly. Her hands tingled. She hunched her shoulders and got her hands under her bottom, then rolled over to her back and lifted them over her feet, then pushed herself up. She could barely see the rope, now that her eyes were used to the dim lighting. However, she was able to pull the gag off.</p><p>Luz looked around for her bag - she didn't have a knife, but she did have a pencil sharpener in her pen case - but her bag was nowhere to be seen in the blackness. If it even was with her. She tried gnawing at the thick cord biding her, and felt a few fibres crackling. It wasn't much, but it was better than a few minutes ago.</p><p> </p><p>Amity was faced with an impossible choice. One that was even harder to make while hiding.</p><p>Run out into a fierce magical blastning storm, and run the very high risk of getting blasted, try to find help, and bring them back here (as a couple other students had already tried, and failed, to do. She'd seen them.)</p><p>Or, stay right here in this building and fight this thing herself. </p><p>The second option was more likely to result in her death, given how many others had tried to do it, but she really was beyond caring at this point. There was value in sacrifice; all the greats said as much. It was her turn now.</p><p>Besides, if Luz made it out safely, it might just make the whole thing worth it. </p><p> </p><p>It felt like ages between fibres of the rope snapping, but the whole thing was gone at last.</p><p>"Yes!" Luz panted, then relaxed a little, rubbing her scuffed and scratched wrists. She sank down on the ground, her sore and sweaty back against the cold stone wall. She'd had more than enough time to think during the (roughly) twenty minutes she'd spent working on the rope that bound her wrists. It was going to take a long time to work her way through it, she knew that.</p><p>Before she pulled out one of her earrings to get started, however, she pulled out a light glyph and activated it. Once everyone's eyes had stopped stinging, Luz realised that all of the thing's captives were in this room -- and it was more massive than Luz had first thought. </p><p>Everyone was looking at her. "Guys, listen up! Does anyone have a knife, or anything sharp to cut these ropes?"</p><p>A series of mumbles to her right answered her; the Detention Track gang was bound up as a trio, and Jerbo and Barcus were looking on as Viney fell onto her side, and tried to wordlessly offer her hairpin to Luz. Crawling over, she plucked it out, and used the sharp edge like a razor to cut the rope around her ankles loose.</p><p>She was quick to move on to the trio, and then the next person. </p><p> </p><p>Amity's preparations were done. </p><p>She had found a suitably large and empty section of wall to set a trap with, and made sure the route leading to it was one devoid of obstacles.</p><p>She hadn't had much on her; her magic, her hands and feet, and a very sharp knife from one of the carved open lockers(why didn't she just use that to end it? Well, she wanted it to just be quick).</p><p>Turns out, drawing a perfect circle was much easier with your hand in the air than with a knife on stone. </p><p>The blastning was raging all around the outside, in direct parallel to the war within Amity's own heart, that she'd shelved to focus on the upcoming fight.</p><p>Standing in Hexside's main foyer, Amity felt like she was about to kick off a final boss battle from one of her favourite books. Except here, the hero wasn't a good person. </p><p>It was time; no turning back now. Summoning a large ball of pink fire in her right hand, Amity raised it high above her head and let out a fierce war cry that echoed throughout the cavernous walls. </p><p> </p><p>The beast growled, low in her throat as she tested the wind, sniffing for any remaining spoor. This form was made for hunting... once she'd gotten hold of her prey, there was no escape. </p><p>After this last sweep was done, and the storm had passed, she knew what she would do next. She would bring all of her captives before the masters, and they would 'purge the heresy' out of their minds. Maybe she should even kill the human ahead of time, and gain favour with the Emperor, known to have a personal grudge with her. </p><p>However, those plans were put on hold when the beast heard the sound of a scream, coming from another part of the building.</p><p>It was the scream of a young girl who wanted to be found... and killed. </p><p> </p><p>Cutting this rope was harder than expected; sweat was pouring from Luz's scalp, down into her eyes and mouth. Not a nice feeling. And the worry for Amity, Willow, Gus and everyone else wasn't helping the situation. Several times, she wiped her face with her filthy, torn sleeve to get it off her face. Awful, but better than the sweat.</p><p>More people were now helping her cut everyone else loose, and the hairpin in her hand, along with various other cutting tools people had pulled out made things go much quicker. </p><p>A sudden, distant screaming sound jolted her hard enough to make her drop the hairpin. What was that?!</p><p>Everyone else also stopped to listen, but they all quickly resumed cutting the bonds. It took Luz a little longer to regain her senses, though.</p><p>
  <em>Y'know what? When we get out of here, I'm gonna put my synthwave playlist on constant loop, make as many chocolate chip cookies as I can, and just spend a whole day doing fuck all in my loungewear.</em>
</p><p>Luz felt a warmth shoot through her at the thought.</p><p> </p><p>Amity's roar had worked; there were sounds of movement coming towards her.</p><p>It was frightening, but she planted herself into the ground. She would not falter; not anymore. </p><p>She could see the silhouette in the vast black void that surrounded her; it was there. Waiting.</p><p>But Amity was done with waiting. </p><p>Moonlight shining onto her, Amity shouted into the black void, "Come out and face me, you fucking feckless abortion! Where the hell are you?!" </p><p>The thing had obviously heard her, because it seemed to comply; it emerged from the darkness into the pink firelight, before standing to face Amity, not as prey, but as an opponent. </p><p>All she could say was: "You are one... ugly... son of a witch."</p><p>At last, she had got a good look at the thing. It wasn't anything like most creatures and demons on the Boiling Isles, and she did her research, damn it!</p><p>It was... a strange creature. Not the usual Boiling Isles strange; a different, not normal kind of strange. Her first impression was of the height, and then of the sharp teeth and knifelike claws. It had to be at least twelve feet tall, with giant needlelike fangs sprouting out of a long muzzle, and the claws on both hands looked like they could tear through iron... and probably had. A lizard-like tail completed the look, and was it wearing... clothing?! Sleek muscles rippled everywhere, and it was covered in black fur (except for a spot on its chest, where it was white). Its eyes... were bright and brown, almost sentient. What was it?!</p><p>In the back of Amity's mind, she wondered if this would be what King would look like if he went bad. </p><p>Either way, it was now slowly advancing towards Amity, who was still backed up against the wall. It let out a blood-curdling roar as it did so, jogging Amity's mind into action. </p><p>She threw the fireball she was still holding at the monster, but it dodged rather easily. Summoning an abomination arm, Amity bought it up for a roundhouse swing. Right up until the thing blocked it with its arm and sliced it in two.</p><p>
<em>Bad idea.</em>
</p><p>It was quick to respond with a backhanded slap, so powerful it sent Amity flying, rolling across the ground. </p><p>Now on her hands and knees, Amity shot a quick look at her opponent, before scrambling away. It was advancing.</p><p>Amity scrambled up the nearest set of stairs towards a corridor, narrowly missing a swipe from the massive claws.</p><p>Crawling along like she was an animal -- or a scared toddler, take your pick -- Amity let the beast chase her through the halls, keeping just enough distance to be a tempting target. And the monster was only trailing behind, as if it was still a cat playing with its prey.</p><p>As Amity crawled up the stairs to the second floor, the monster took another huge swipe at her retreating form. The claws did indeed tear through the stone, but it took long enough that Amity was able to strike back. </p><p>Amity had taken advantage of the momentary gap to blast a fireball at the creature, nailing it in the shoulder. It seemed to howl in pain.</p><p>Mere seconds later, however, the thing recovered. And when Amity tried to use another fire spell, it dodged the attack again and swung its other arm upwards. </p><p>A very, very sharp jolt of pain rushed up through her right arm. Amity clutched at her wrist and let out a scream, the kind of one that could shatter bulletproof glass if it hit in the right spot. Her mind caught up to what happened a few seconds later. </p><p>She'd lost a hand. She'd <em>lost</em> a <em>hand!</em></p><p>Gripping the raw stump of her wrist tightly, Amity could feel the blood seeping from the horribly painful wound. It was exactly what she'd pictured getting dismembered by a sword would be like.</p><p>But she didn't have time to properly process this; the beast was still out for blood. And compared to Odalia's past punishments, losing a limb was <em>easy.</em> </p><p>Still crawling away, Amity moved a lot faster now; the blood seeping out of her wrist was enough to get the thing to follow her. However, said blood trail was becoming too much; she had to stop it or she'd die. And unfortunately, she didn't have much magical bile left in her system. And even if she did, Amity didn't know know enough about healing magic to treat this kind of wound.</p><p>That meant it was time for the good old fashioned way. And she had enough distance between her and it to do so.</p><p>Grimacing, she summoned a fresh ball of fire in her remaining hand, and pressed it to her wrist. She screamed. The pain was indescribable, not to mention, it bought up painful, fresh memories, but she had to. And it worked; the bleeding did stop.</p><p>Pressing the hand she still had to the wall, Amity stood up, just in time to see the beast round the corner she'd fled around. Now she could run. The thing was clearly running low on spines, and it wasn't about to waste them, so it gave chase.</p><p>Heart pounding in her ears, Amity ran through the school's halls to her trap. She could hear the pounding footfalls behind her, getting closer every second. But her years of Grudgby had given Amity enough stamina to outlast the huge beast.</p><p>Soon enough, Amity was in the area where she'd laid her trap; the amphitheatre where arithmetic classes were held. Forcing the door open with her remaining hand, Amity stumbled down the stairwell, only to find that the beast was quicker than she'd hoped -- as she turned to look at it, one of its remaining spines stabbed her in the torso.</p><p>Amity's entire lower half went numb. And having it happen on stairs was just the icing on the cake. </p><p>The world was whirling as Amity fell down the flight of stairs, banging and knocking every part of her body until she landed in an undignified heap on the floor, her entire body crying out in pain.</p><p>She didn't stop moving, though. Crawling along on her arms alone, Amity made her way to the far wall -- where she'd drawn out that large, perfect circle. Just as Luz once had to beat Eda's cursed form. </p><p>She could hear huge footsteps behind her, coming down the stairs she'd just tumbled down (like her human dummy).</p><p>Reaching the wall, Amity turned to look at the huge beast, now glaring at her from directly opposite where she was sat. One of its sets of claws (the one attached to the uninjured shoulder) was out and ready. It didn't seem to be aware of what the circle meant, however -- something Amity had counted on.</p><p>"Come on!" Amity shouted. "Come on! Do it! Kill me! I'm here, kill me! Kill me, I'm here, come here! Come on, kill me! I'm here! Come on, do it now! Kill me!" She was making wild swinging gestures towards her chest with her hand. <strong>"Do it!"</strong> (Her tone of voice in that moment had made it come out as "Dew it!")</p><p>The beast let out another loud roar, and advanced on the wounded witch. </p><p>The action movie heroes of old were chanting her name as Amity shouted, <em>"Swing on this!"</em> and used her remaining hand to smash the large circle she'd drawn on the wall. In the corner of her eye, she saw the familiar patterns of an ice glyph forming in the circle, before it glowed brightly.</p><p>Her human had given her the idea.</p><p>Only this time, instead of slipping the target so it fell into the water, a spearhead shape shot out of the circle -- akin to a giant cone -- and a loud scream came shortly after.</p><p>At her limits now, Amity could only watch from the floor as the huge creature sagged, then fell, with ponderous slowness, onto the ice spear that had just pierced completely through its chest. As the thing lay there, whatever had happened to it seemed to reverse; at first, slowly but surely, it shrank. Then its tail disappeared into nothing, its muzzle contorted back into a face, its claws receded away into the limp hands, until finally there lay a small woman with a pair of equally small ears and long curly black hair, in tattered and torn Emperor's Coven garb. She looked like a nice woman; young. Amity didn't have to look twice at the impaled sentient to know that she was dead. </p><p>Head thudding against the wall she rested against, Amity sighed and went to draw a spell circle to get the spine the creature had shot into her out of her gut. Unfortunately, it crumbled into nothing the moment she completed it (like Eda's apparently did now), and Amity felt that obvious sign in her mind, like an incomplete connection.</p><p><em>Oh, this sucks.</em> She'd drained herself of magical bile, on top of being burnt, dismembered and paralyzed. She almost instantly amended her previous statement: <em>This</em> really <em>sucks.</em></p><p>She let out a deep sigh, born out of relief and frustration. She knew what this meant; when any witch used up all the magical bile in their heart, they couldn't cast even the simplest of spells for the few days it took to recover. On top of that, if they kept doing it repeatedly, it would result in all kinds of horrible things; from blindness to schizophrenia and all things in between.</p><p>Waves of blackness threatened, and there was no active physical threat. Closing her eyes, Amity focused on simply breathing, and she felt exhaustion and sleep take her. Her entire head was still throbbing, and she needed a moment to rest... just a moment...</p><p> </p><p>Lilith had missed this. </p><p>She was in her space in the loft, unpacking her boxes at last. She had managed to move just about everything from her humble abode into The Owl House those first few days on the run, considering there wasn't that much of it. She had thought Eda tolerated her staying at her home because she had helped Luz save her and took on the curse for her, and nothing more. She hadn't unpacked any of the boxes, because she didn't want to settle down just to have to leave.</p><p>But now that she didn't fear being kicked out or killed, or both, Eda was helping her unpack her things. And joking about them in her usual way. </p><p>"Oh, wow, you still held onto this thing?" Eda asked, pulling out a folded piece of paper. "I never got a good look at it, what is it?"</p><p>Realising exactly what it was, Lilith quickly grabbed it back. "None of your business!"</p><p>Eda, seeing her sister's red face, grinned. "Oooh, secret love letter? Who'd you have it bad for?"</p><p>"It's actually a love picture, Edalyn..." Lilith muttered.</p><p>"Knew it!" Eda cackled. "Spill, for Titan's sake! Was he sweet, smart, caring, powerful? Give me some juice!"</p><p>"There is none!" Lilith laughed, and for a moment, it was like they were teenagers again, having fun learning magic, and trying to help their old, close friend; Lilith's secret lover.</p><p>To this day, Lilith still couldn't believe the man in question had loved her over Eda, when she seemed to have everything Lilith didn't. A happy, upbeat charm, the magical power, more beautiful looks, and love of people... and yet, he had chosen Lilith over Eda. </p><p>Their love phrase had rattled around her head like a mantra: <em>Whatever it takes.</em> </p><p>Eda was quick to bring her back into the present. "You should've told me about him; I would've helped."</p><p>"You help me? Like when you dyed my hair neon pink to try and make me look more 'lively'?"</p><p>Eda scoffed from her place on the carpet. "Oh, please. What was the big deal about a change in style like that?"</p><p>"What was the big deal?! Edalyn, being emotionally scarred for life is a big deal -- or didn't you notice?" </p><p>"What is so scarring about having bright hair for a week, Lily?" </p><p>"I had something very important to do that week. You went and ruined it by 'helping'!" Lilith huffed, crossing her arms over her chest with a glare. Given her current clothing, it reminded Eda of her eight year old self, bouncing on Eda's bed to get her awake.</p><p>"Was it asking that mystery guy out? If he did matter, then he wouldn't have cared about something like that, would he? But clearly, you went and chickened out." The 'again' was left unsaid.  </p><p>"I know I was, but I could have dealt without you giving me hell for <em>once,</em>" Lilith pointed out. "Besides, if I did tell you, it'd also get out to people like Ava Burkle. Remember her?"  </p><p>"Oh, <em>screw</em> that girl," Eda laughed. "What kind of person says they're proud to be bigoted against people who love the opposite sex?! It's a miracle her clothes didn't vanish earlier."</p><p>"Wait, that was you?!" Lilith gasped, remembering that infamous prank where the girl in question was magically stripped in the middle of Hexside's cafeteria.</p><p>"Yeah!" Eda laughed. "If you're gonna say all that crap about 'love is love', it goes both ways, right? Besides, I still gotta look out for my big sis." </p><p>Lilith laughed lightly and shook her head, remembering the kinds of things that happened when Eda tried to stand up for her.</p><p>The one that always sprang to mind was when her lunch money had been stolen by a boy under huge pressure, and Edalyn had summoned abominations to start a riot, before losing control and the sisters had to ally with the thief to save the school.</p><p>That had been the day she'd met the love of her life. </p><p><em>Whatever it takes.</em> </p><p>Lilith then realised, happily, that the ensuing silence was comfortable, not cloying. Wait... silence? That meant...</p><p>Eda could only gape as Lilith shot to her feet and bolted out of the room, and then re-emerged in her old Emperor's Coven dress, her staff -- whose palisman's name was Sapphira -- in her hand. "The blastning's stopped."</p><p>Eda was quick to jump up and bolt downstairs, yelling for Owlbert. </p><p> </p><p>With the light glyph in the air, almost everyone was out of their bindings. And there was nothing but silence outside. </p><p>Those who were still dealing with the paralysis toxin were being helped along by those who'd recovered, and Willow and Boscha were looking through the door.</p><p>Nothing.</p><p>Slowly, the freed captives emerged into Hexside's halls. They were still eerily silent, so everyone went spells ready, every sense on full alert.</p><p>When they all got into the main foyer, they saw the beginnings of a scuffle, and the markings on the floor. But Willow was the first to notice the trail, leading into another one of the doors.</p><p>Following the trail, and the other obvious signs of destruction, Willow came across the severed hand in one of the stairwells. Forcing down a gag reflex, she followed the spilt blood and signs of yet more destruction, emerging into the arithmetic amphitheatre. </p><p>The first, and most obvious, thing she saw was the corpse on the massive ice spear in the middle of the room.</p><p>The second was Amity.</p><p>She was at her old friend's side in a heartbeat, noticing Amity's pale face, closed eyes, hideous burn scar, and missing hand. She was still breathing, but she was covered in fresh bruises; she must have been the one to kill the beast, with a trap. Willow looked up, and saw the ice coming out of the wall, easily putting two and two together.</p><p>Setting her jaw, and looking back down at Amity, Willow whispered, "I can't carry your injuries for you, Amity. But I can carry you!" Slinging both of Amity's arms over her head, Willow picked her up, placed her over her shoulders like a large log, and began a charge out of Hexside.</p><p>The blastning had all but stopped as Willow charged out of the building, and along the roads into the town. Willow knew the route fairly well; Boiling Isles plant life was dangerous at the best of times, when it wasn't being finicky or actively plotting against people. She'd made her fair share of trips.</p><p>A healers' building was soon in sight, and Willow kicked the doors open easily. As the staff quickly saw her and wheeled over a bed, Willow deposited Amity's unconscious form on top of it, and stood watching as she got wheeled away.</p><p>She only barely registered other healers coming to check her injuries and those of everyone else that had followed her here; or of the huge crack in her glasses being fixed. Her mind was buzzing far too much with questions.</p><p>The main one being: How did Amity get that massive scar on her face?</p><p> </p><p>Amity soon came to; she had been in a state that was half faint, half asleep. The first thing she noticed was what she was in; a simple white nightgown, in a soft single bed, her right wrist wrapped in bandages and healing glyphs, and best of all, her face didn't hurt anymore.</p><p>The second thing she noticed made her mood drop; it was Willow, resting in a seat just across from the bed she was lying in. The person who likely hated her more than ever because of what she'd done. </p><p>She didn't mean for it, but all the self-deprecating thoughts she'd been having were starting to resurface in a huge way. </p><p>"Willow," Amity began, stubbornly refusing to choke up. "I would say that I'm sorry, but that isn't going to cut it anymore, is it? There's no point in trying now, because I can't be your friend again after all I did to you. The least I could do is explain why I did what I did." She hung her head. Somehow, this hurt far more than getting her face burned. "I never explained why I set fire to your memories, did I? I took that class; I knew the warnings. And I did it anyway." She sighed. "Because you don't deserve all the pain I put you through. You shouldn't have to carry all that around with you, because of me. It hurt, you know that? Even when I had that uptight mask on, I hated acting like that to you. You were my only real friend for a long time, but I said those things anyway. I said all those things to you so that you wouldn't want to be my friend anymore. Not just because I didn't want you hurt, but because you deserve better than me." She was <em>really</em> trying not to cry. "I wasn't kidding when I said I was too weak to be your friend. I was weak, cowardly, stupid, and pathetic. And here you are, still trying to be my friend, for reasons I can't guess. Why? Why do you want to be friends with someone like me, who's already done so many things wrong?" She gave a disgusted laugh; something bitter. "I guess I really am a 'Blight'. All I ever do is hurt people I love. And if you stay around me, I'll just hurt you again. I deserve all the bad stuff that's happened to me." She looked down at her right wrist. "Losing the hand doesn't feel like a fitting punishment. Getting burned by my mother doesn't feel fitting. You not forgiving me does, so I'll just wait for you."</p><p>Willow had her head turned, facing into the chair.</p><p>So that Amity couldn't see the tears streaming down her face. </p><p> </p><p>After a few more moments to compose herself, Willow made a motion like she was getting up from a nap. But she still didn't turn around yet.</p><p>Amity winced a bit, before making herself say it; making herself face the music. </p><p>"Willow," Amity began. "I know that I'm probably the last person in the world you want to see right now. But I want you to know, I am so, so sorry, Willow." Tears were streaming down her cheeks now, guilt thick in her voice. "I am so sorry, and ashamed of what I did. I know there's no way I could ever make it up to you, but I --" </p><p>She didn't get to finish as a set of vines shot out and wrapped around her shoulder. She braced for a moment, expecting the worst.</p><p>She wasn't expecting to be pulled across the room and into Willow's lap for a bone-crushing hug, that felt just as warm as the last time she'd got one from her, all those years ago.</p><p>Amity was frozen in disbelief, unable to comprehend that this was happening. "How could you forgive me so easily?! I thought you'd be furious with me!"</p><p>Willow's reply was unexpectedly shaky. "I can't be angry at you anymore. I'm just hurt, and sad, because I was afraid you'd lost your way." </p><p>Amity didn't deserve this... right? She couldn't accept it... right? "But... I... I did lose my way." Amity was done. She didn't have the strength to look Willow in the eyes. She could only sit and stare at Willow's lap.</p><p>Willow pulled away, but kept her hands on Amity's shoulders. "But you found it again." That made Amity look up at last. </p><p>There were tears in Willow's eyes behind her glasses, and Amity heard a sniff that wasn't her own. "And you did it all by yourself! And I'm so happy that you found your way back to yourself, Ami."</p><p>That got the tears to start flowing at last. Amity hadn't heard Willow's old nickname for her ever since that day when they'd been torn apart. It gave her so much warm nostalgia at once; like how she'd told Willow about her big dream, or how Willow's dad and pop would let her stay the night and treat her like their second daughter. Her lips started quivering and she shut her eyes tight, as tears started flowing again.</p><p>Willow hugged her tight again, and Amity just melted into it. She started sobbing, her breath hitching too many times to count. This hug was nothing like the hugs Luz gave, the ones that made her emit dainty gay squeaks from her gay little heart; this one made her feel warm and safe, like there was nothing in the universe that could hurt her. Slowly wrapping her own arms around her old friend's large frame, Amity let the tears flow.</p><p>"It wasn't that hard, Tree," Amity sobbed out, using her own nickname for Willow that she hadn't used since that same day. "You always did have a strong scent." </p><p>Willow gently pat her best friend on the back, nodding slowly. Amity didn't realise how much she needed this until she had it -- it felt so natural and strong (just like one of her plants, hilariously enough), and crucially, it made her feel loved. That she was worthy of being loved.</p><p>"Mittens!"</p><p>Willow pulled away, and Amity looked to the voice, seeing a pair of familiar green heads in the doorway. Ed and Em picked her up by the arms and plonked her onto the bed again, only for Emira to start fussing over her like... well... a mother.</p><p>"By the Titan, Amity, you scared the ever-loving shit out of us! What happened to you while everyone was getting snatched? We were so worried for you!" As Emira continued her panicked rambling, she squished Amity's cheeks and tilted her head this way and that, to look for head injuries that weren't her scar.</p><p>"Stop it! I'm fine! I set a trap and killed the thing," Amity said while swatting her hands away, but not really bothered by the fussing. It was actually rather heartwarming to know the twins worried about her that much, and that they were okay.</p><p>"I'll see you soon..." Willow said, giving Amity a small wave as she headed out. Amity waved back, looking over Edric's shoulder to look her in the eyes again. </p><p>"You call this fine?! You've lost a hand! You've drained yourself! Amity, you don't have to be so brave..." Emira sobbed out, reaching out to pull her little sister into a hug meant to protect her from all of life's evils.</p><p>As Amity hugged back, she remembered this was rather normal, in terms of how they comforted her, rare as it was. Emira would be there to offer a soothing hand, while Edric would try to lighten the mood with humour (like Eda).</p><p>Speaking of...</p><p>"I know you're confused right now," Edric said slowly as he sat on the bed and reaching over to put an arm around Amity's shoulders, hugging her himself. </p><p>Both his sisters looked at him, though it was Emira who spoke. "What?"</p><p>"Confused," Edric repeated. "Because... you're stumped. <em>Stumped,</em> geddit?!"</p><p>All the colour washed back into Amity's face, as a grin burst onto it. "Pathetic," Emira groaned, as Amity started snorting and giggling. "Pathetic! The whole world of missing hand-related humour before you, you go for <em>stumped?!</em>"</p><p>Edric didn't care; his little sister was laughing. That was all that mattered to him. Besides, Edric was constitutionally immune to embarrassment, just like Luz. They both carried the gene. </p><p>And Amity really <em>was</em> confused. How was it that Goof and Idiot, the two people who'd made her life hell for a good chunk of it, be simultaneously two of her absolute favourite people in the universe despite that? Even as she was laughing at Edric's awful joke and Emira's reaction to it, it came to her; clearly, their bond ran deeper than she thought.</p><p>Tears still streaking down her face, Amity pulled them both in for a hug, and cried even harder when they hugged back.</p><p>"I love you guys," she whimpered.</p><p>"We love you too, Mittens!" they cried, in perfect unison.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Phase Three: Dawn through the Smoke</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Luz had been in her fair share of hospital rooms, considering her mother's job and her own tendency to come home with all kinds of minor injuries. But once again, the Boiling Isles had to surprise her. </p><p>Witches of all kinds had huddled together like penguin colonies in the building's large front room, as various individuals in various pieces of clothing, all embroidered with the Healing Coven's dark blue glove symbol, tending to the injuries everyone had suffered in the attack that needed a name. Luz found herself wondering, for a few insane moments, how her mami would fit in with these people.</p><p>Gus was the first to join Luz, having been healed from the minor injuries he'd taken. Willow, looking downright tired and relieved, was next, though she was still sporting a huge crack in one of her glasses' lenses. Shortly after her, a relieved Edric and Emira were upon her, fussing over her like a mother hen with her chicks.</p><p>"Guys, calm down, it's all good," Luz laughed. "It's dead, we're here, we made it."  </p><p>"We're so glad you made it!" Emira wheezed out, sounding far too weary for her usual self. "You okay?"</p><p>Luz nodded as her gaze was drawn to the crowd; a bastardised mix of confusion, shot nerves, relief, and good old mumbling. It didn't seem like all of Hexside's student and staff body were milling around still, and the ones still present certainly didn't look pleased with it.</p><p>"So... what's going on now? Has Bump, or anyone, said anything?" </p><p>"I can't say. Your guess is as good as mine... the time's flyin' by now," Edric muttered, holding one arm with the other. "When the guardians started arriving, some students got to head home, as did a few of the professors once they got checked out, but because Bump won't let any students leave without a guardian because of what went down tonight, a whole lot of us are stuck here now. So, we're all just waiting it out."</p><p>Luz was scanning the crowd, trying to find a certain head of mint hair. But she couldn't see her. "Do you guys know what happened to Amity?"</p><p>Both the twins' faces dropped like lead boulders, in perfect sync with the other. </p><p>Luz had had enough. "Guys, I don't know what's been going on in your lives, but something's up. I don't know what would have made Amity do to me what she did to Willow, but it can't be good!"</p><p>"Yeah," Gus agreed. "I don't know much either, but you don't get burn scars like that and don't get them healed right after. Tell us, guys."</p><p>Ed and Em exchanged a long look, clearly using some of that telepathy inherent to twins, especially ones as close as they were.</p><p>They began... explaining how that night, they'd come home after pulling some of their usual pranks, and heard their mother's voice coming from Amity's room... heard what they both were saying, and looked in through the cracks in the door... heard Amity standing up for herself against her mother, something she'd never done before... saw Odalia drawing a spell circle.</p><p>"I looked away..." Edric sighed.</p><p>"I just couldn't..." Emira added. </p><p>When they described what happened next, with them both being unable to intervene lest they both get scarred too, Luz, Willow, and Gus all wore looks of pure, stunned, disbelief.</p><p>That had happened to Amity? Amity, who was now a Star Wars protagonist due to her lost hand? Amity, disgraced heir to the Fire Nation? (Who ironically sounded exactly like the Southern Water Tribe's mother figure?) </p><p>Luz couldn't even begin to fathom what that must have been like for them; watching helplessly, as their mother melted half of their little sister's face off while she screamed, and beat her to the point of immobility, all for a completely stupid reason, with Ed physically unable to watch, and Em too frozen in shock to look away. </p><p>"Apparently, the burn was still painful even after two days," Emira added.</p><p>Edric nodded his head. "And Mother refused to let any healer see Amity unless she left you guys. So it was break away from you, or live in horrible pain day in and day out."</p><p>"I had no idea..." Willow whispered, mostly to herself as tears ran down her face. Gus looked like he was about to be violently sick. </p><p>Luz was vibrating with pure anger -- far more so than when she'd snapped at Lilith in the bowels of the Confomatorium. "What... what kind of person <em>does that</em> to their daughter?!" she screamed out, drawing the eyes of many in the room. "How... how <em>fucking</em> dare she?!"</p><p>"I know..." Emira sighed, her expression screaming melancholy. "But we're stuck. There's not a whole lot we can do right now."</p><p>"Hey," Edric countered, giving her a slight encouraging smile. "We're gonna get out of that house soon, and we'll take care of her. Right?"</p><p>Ed laid a hand on Em's shoulder, and she wearily sighed. That had been their plan for ages now, and it had never seemed so close and yet so far.</p><p>The front door to the healers' building opened. Edric saw who had just walked in, and a look of unbridled dread came over his face. Emira followed his line of sight, and that look was soon mirrored on her own face. </p><p>"Where is my daughter?" </p><p> </p><p>Amity felt like screaming, and sobbing, but managed to force a sense of control over herself. This was going to be bad enough without her dissolving into complete hysterics. She was sat, on the bed in the healers' building, barely holding herself together. The twins were sitting on the chairs in the room, their voices rising. Her mother was pacing back and forth across the room, currently tearing into Luz -- <em>her</em> Luz.</p><p>"You heard what's happened to her!" Odalia shouted. "You know what that lowly human is somehow capable of, and she obviously gave you a fake name! Luz Noceda -- right? Do you know what her <em>real</em> name is?"</p><p>"Stop it!" Edric shouted. "Luz Noceda <em>is</em> her real name!"</p><p>"How can you say that when she lives with Edalyn Clawthorne?" Odalia said. "Face it, that creature cavorts with criminals, and is obviously brazen enough to go against the Emperor! And you want me to accept it with open arms, just because you say so?"</p><p>Emira visibly bit her lip, her fangs breaking the skin, to keep from shrieking. </p><p>"And another thing," Odalia barrelled on. "My memory is coming back on this, and I know the Owl Lady has used aliases before. The time I remember, she was one Drea Drimeflower. Remember her? That woman who went around one summer selling shares in an iron mine in the Shatterthorn Forest, and the whole thing turned out to be bogus? A scam?"</p><p>Emira <em>did</em> remember. "But even if Eda's a con artist, that doesn't mean Luz--"</p><p>Odalia threw up her arms in exasperation. "Don't you remember how a couple of your friends' parents were nearly <em>wiped out</em> from buying shares in that nonexistent mine?" She snorted indignantly. "That whole family is nothing but a bunch of con artists -- both the sisters and the parents -- and that includes the human taking advantage of Amity's infatuation with her!"</p><p>"But Luz isn't Eda's," Amity pointed out, desperately fighting not to give in to tears. "You admitted that. She can't be held responsible for what you say the Owl Lady did."</p><p>"Then explain why your diary depicted that sad novelty pretending to be part of this world as Edalyn's daughter -- or so she told you!"</p><p>Edric all but glared at her at the mention of Amity's diary, his own fangs showing. "Well, maybe she is that to Eda, because she saw something in her that we haven't," he said. "Mother, Luz is a good person! She's gotten in over her head more than once and now she's stuck on the Boiling Isles, we already know that. But she's getting better! She's trying to be there for Amity, and you won't give her that chance!"</p><p>Odalia snorted derisively. "If she even <em>is</em> stuck here," she replied. "Don't be blinded by cuteness and the fact that she's all touchy! Face it, she may well have seduced Amity because she'd checked our family out and found that we have money!"</p><p>"Are you saying that Luz is a <em>thief?</em>" Edric choked out, unable to comprehend how in the universe Odalia could've assumed that, even with a warped vision of reality. </p><p>"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying," Odalia replied. </p><p>Emira couldn't believe it either. "Do you want us to prove nothing's stolen, or something?"</p><p>"You won't have to," Odalia replied. "I'm calling the Emperor's Coven. I'm sure she's already done so much outside of directly opposing the Emperor."</p><p>"Don't you dare!" Amity cried out. "If you call the Emperor's Coven on Luz I'll never speak to you again! You're wrong about Luz! She had absolutely no idea my family was wealthy when we met. I still haven't shown her the manor!"</p><p>"A creature like that, even a magicless one, has many sources to check," Odalia pointed out. "She probably checked you out within days of knowing your name, and found out everything she needed to know."</p><p>"No, she didn't!"</p><p>"What is wrong with you?" Odalia shouted. "I'm trying to make you see reason! And I don't want you to get involved with something that's on the wrong side of the law!"</p><p>"Luz isn't like that!" Amity wailed. "She's fought just as hard as I have to become a witch, and she's studying every form at once. Can't you give her a chance? She's trying to be a better version of herself every day!"</p><p>"That's what she's told you, Amity," Odalia said. "But creatures and novelties like that lie for a living. And you need to be reminded."</p><p>Odalia summoned her staff, and Amity immediately went into a minor meltdown; she knew what was coming next, that her stay in the healers' would be far longer than expected. She curled up and quietly whimpered, ready for the fire and broken bones again.</p><p><strong>"No!"</strong> With that howl, Edric charged, slamming his mass full force into Odalia's side. Emira was right behind him, also diving on their mother. They couldn't let her do it again! </p><p>After hearing sounds of a brief, yet fierce, scuffle, Amity dared to look again, and saw Emira holding their mother's shoulders down, while Edric straddled her and bought both his fists high above his head. He was just about to bring them down in a heavy blow when a voice from the doorway stopped him in his tracks.</p><p>"Don't, Edric and Emira. I forbid it."</p><p>All of them turned their heads to see Alador Blight standing there. Cold death was in his eyes, though who it was directed at was unclear.</p><p>"Father..." Emira began. Edric was seemingly incapable of speech at that moment, and so was Amity.</p><p>"I do know what happened, you two. I'm more proficient with magic outside of abominations than you know." As if to prove it, he whirled a spell circle as he marched into the room, and the sounds of his footsteps popped back into existence. "I've been right outside that door, listening to this entire disgraceful scene, and I am telling you, don't." He was standing in between them and Odalia, facing the twins.</p><p>"But Father..." she began again. Alador turned his gaze on the twins as they got to their feet.</p><p>"Edric, Emira, I am tired of you both breezing through life like this. You have both become complacent and careless in your power with no care for effort, and I'm disappointed in you for that. You have given me no reason whatsoever to disown either of you, but neither will I allow you to inherit the land and the weapon that should be Amity's. Silencer must go to someone worthy of it, and you have not proven yourselves worthy of touching her hilt."</p><p>Silence reigned, and Odalia got back up with her staff. "Well, now that's done with, I think we should get back to --" </p><p>She didn't get to finish as Alador gripped his cane's handle tight, and pulled out the sword hidden in it. Silencer.</p><p>Amity had often seen it being cleaned and honed often; the pommel was a hunk of pale marble, carved into the likeness of a snarling wolf, with chips of dark blue sapphire in the eyes. The grip, which Alador was now tightly grasping, was soft, black leather, easy to replace whenever it was damaged. The blade itself was tapered to thrust was well as slash, and long enough to be classified as a 'bastard' sword. It was Scipian steel, a dark metal with an almost smokiness in its soul. Because it was made from an ore that only occurred in the Titan's skull and with spells known only to a few, it was nigh indestructible, and this combined with Belos himself sitting on the mines, made it highly rare. Owning a sword made out of it was evidence enough of the Blights' power and wealth.</p><p>And now, that sword was being drawn and bought around in a slice so quick, no one could react. By the time anyone's mind actually did catch up, Odalia was on the ground and clutching a cut on her face, her staff's palisman chopped clean off the top. And Alador was standing over her, fury writ all over his face.</p><p>"Odalia, I have had enough of you using our children as nothing but pieces in your glorified playset. You've become as judgmental and class-conscious as both your parents <em>and</em> mine, and I've had enough of you in my life. You're almost all of the reason they're dealing with these problems in the first place. So <em>stop it.</em> Do you understand me?"</p><p>"Alador!" Odalia gasped, completely incredulous. "How <em>dare</em> you speak to me like that?" The slight cut on her cheek was starting to bleed, slowly.</p><p>"Because I'm angry, Odalia, angry clean through," Alador snarled out, as if he was Silencer's pommel come to life. "How can you be this arrogant and blind? Can you not realise that affections like that make her stronger, not weaker? The relationships she forged on her own are incredibly important to her, and I'm disgusted you don't have the common decency to realise that!"</p><p>"As if you're any better!" she shot back. "Where were you while it was all happening to her? Nowhere. You rejected her. What gives you the right to make these claims?"</p><p>Alador just sighed, as if he'd been waiting to be asked that question. "Because, I love all my children, especially Amity, with all my heart and I want them to be capable. All that suffering, at least in my mind, was to give them the lessons needed for them to be great, so they didn't end up as arrogant, cruel, vicious, selfish brats. So they didn't end up like you. There is no greater learning tool than struggle."</p><p>Odalia gave a low chuckle. "Yes. It was not easy raising them. All the other mothers laughed from behind my back, because of the name I took. You should thank me. Fernus." </p><p>With that, the three eyed monkey that was her palisman began to scamper towards her...</p><p>...right before Alador slammed Silencer's blade into its torso, making everyone else jump. Green fluid was leaking from the gaping stab wound in the wooden animal's middle, because <em>of course</em> wood was a poor match for steel. Slowly, Alador raised the dead palisman up to his eyeline, face contorted in a feral grimace that was more like a demon's snarl. "Thank you," he spit out right before ripping the wood off his sword and throwing it in her lap. Amity, Edric and Emira could only look on in pure shock. </p><p>"Don't act like I don't know about what you've done to all three of them," Alador went on, as the fluid dripped along the sword's blade. "The time you cut open Amity's cheek using a ring made from a drop of Utai blood-poison? Every time they flinch when any adult raises their arm too quickly? All the bruises on Amity's arms from what you considered failures on tests? Going through all of their private belongings, in some paranoid attempt to find contraband? Ever since you made <em>my Amity</em> stop being friends with Willow Park, I could not stand by anymore. I gathered evidence and waited, because I knew my chance would come." He drew another spell circle, producing a sheet of paper and a quill.</p><p>"It ends now," Alador finished, in a cold, sharp voice that brokered no argument. "In one of two ways: either, you sign that and end our marriage, signing the children into my full care, and we don't see each other's faces again. Or, I take the evidence directly to Belos himself, and your failure will be marked into Boiling Isles history as another petrified figure lining the road to the Conformatorium." </p><p>There passed a few moments of deafening silence, as Amity's blood ran cold. Her eyes darted between her two parents, as her father's gold eyes bore into her mother's green ones like magical lasers. </p><p>Then Odalia seemed to buckle -- just a bit. "Fine!" she spat with acidic venom, grabbing the quill. She furiously scrawled her name - her maiden name - on the dotted line; as soon as she lifted the quill from the paper, the whole document lit up, then vanished in a puff of magical smoke. </p><p>"You had better get out of our lives while the going's good, Graves," Alador spat back, forcing out her maiden name as if it were poison in his mouth with all the pent-up anger he'd been nursing over the years. "If I ever see you again in this life, I'll blast you on sight." </p><p>Odalia got up, the dead palisman in her hands. She marched out stiffly, the three siblings still completely flabbergasted at what just happened.</p><p>"Uh--" Edric began, causing Alador to turn his gaze on him and Emira, making the twins flinch.</p><p>"You two. Out. I would like a word with her, alone."</p><p>They didn't have to be told twice; they both scrabbled to be the first out the door. Alador shut the door behind them both once they were out, and he and Amity were alone. </p><p> </p><p>Shortly after Odalia marched out of the building, Eda and Lilith tore out of the sky, landing with ease in front of that same building.</p><p>Eda kicked the door open, just like Willow had done a few moments ago. "Luz?! Where are you?!"</p><p>"I'm right here, Eda!" Luz called out, not prepared for a panicking Eda. Her eyes were wild, she was breathing heavily and she was more white in the face than her Mami's freshly washed sheets. </p><p>"Oh, black blood of the Titan..." Eda wheezed out, swaying like a drunk in a high wind. </p><p>"How is she doing?" Lilith asked the nearest healer, keeping her head in this crisis.</p><p>"Nothing more serious than almost everyone else," was the reply. "Several bruises, cuts, and a paralysis toxin. But, she's got that toxin out of her system now, and the rest should heal within a couple of days on its own." </p><p>"Good," Lilith replied, before rushing over to grab Eda's arm and grip tightly.</p><p>Eda looked like she was about to collapse like a demolished building. She couldn't stop staring at Luz -- she had a pretty bad wound in her right leg, and her uniform was torn in several places with multiple blood stains. It tore at Eda's very soul with a force she didn't even believe <em>existed.</em> </p><p>Eda crouched down, ignoring the slight pain in her legs, and seemingly picked Luz up as if she were a toddler. Resting the girl against her chest and lap, Eda desperately cradled her totally-not-owlet.</p><p>"Mom, I'm okay..." Luz said in a muffled voice because of where she was pressed against Eda's chest, painfully aware of how many people were looking at them.</p><p>"I'm here for you, honey," Eda whispered, clinging to Luz as if deathly afraid she'd vanish like a ghost. "You don't have to be this fucking brave, honey..."</p><p>The tension seemed to evaporate out of Luz like morning mist, despite her multitude of feelings at the fact that Eda had called her 'honey'... and that she loved it. She thudded her head against her mom's (mom's!) chest, and let herself relax. She'd made it; it was over now. </p><p>Eda herself couldn't believe that she'd just used 'honey' to refer to Luz, either. In fact, she didn't recognise her own voice; all of the usual bite and snark it carried was vanished, replaced by a tender warmth (despite the added sickliness) that hadn't existed in decades. Because the last time she'd said anything using that voice, she was a young, wild girl whose carefree heart had hurt her own sister to the point of cursing her out of jealousy and desperation. Not to mention, the love her voice had held was so powerful, Eda was frankly afraid it'd scar her, like the Blight kid. </p><p>Looking at the Owl Lady and her owlet, Lilith couldn't help but feel something she never wanted to feel again... yet another stab of jealousy towards Eda (she even had a human daughter, now!)... she couldn't resist: "Who killed Edalyn and put <em>this</em> mommy in her place?" </p><p>Eda gave a small laugh, realising Lilith was right; it had crept up on her, and now she really was a mommy. <em>That</em> was why her voice held that much love and care. "We did. Me, you, and Luz; we all made me into a mom." And oddly, she couldn't find it in her to care.</p><p>Lilith was surprised at how her mockery had been rebuffed without any anger or harshness at all.</p><p> </p><p>Amity didn't know <em>what</em> to think anymore. </p><p>Her entire life, she'd thought her father was some kind of immovable frozen object. His word was law, and he seemed to be a willing participant in her mother's abuse.</p><p>Now, he had just turned on his wife in a big way, killing her palisman and booting her out of their lives, and now was about to have a calm talk with her like he hadn't just done something huge that flew in the face of everything she'd ever thought about him. </p><p>Having sheathed Silencer in his cane again, Alador slowly sat down on Amity's bed. Amity was gawking at him with an expression that was equal parts shock and confusion.</p><p>"I would be disappointed that you thought the worst of me," Alador began, sounding weathered and broken, "but it is to be expected. I did let it all happen, painful as it no doubt was."</p><p>"But," Amity forced out, "You did it because you wanted to help me? Did you mean any of what you said before, about the family?"</p><p>"I'm still a Blight, yes. I still have a goal of upholding the family's best interests, but I am a father first and as such, it's my job to help and make sure my children are not only happy, but capable. You growing up happy, but not prepared for the world at large, would be just as bad as you growing up a miserable genius." </p><p>Amity could almost feel a panic attack incoming; her nerves had been shot to pieces tonight. Her throat was beginning to constrict as if she was being choked, and she had to remind herself to breathe. </p><p>Alador laid a hand on her knee -- and it was strangely comforting. "Let me tell you something that my grandfather told me when I was a boy; don't cry. You get hurt, you get scared, you get upset. It happens, and there's nothing wrong with that. There is no reason to let the world know that you are feeling like that, though. Do not let the world know that it can control you. You get hit, I want you to get up and hit back. Don't lay on the ground blubbering, because that will only get you hit again later. If you need to cry about it later, then go for it, and make sure you do so only with those you trust. Control yourself, and you control your world. Lose control, and the world is controlling you."</p><p>"But I don't want to be upset anymore," Amity muttered as she hung her head and found her voice again, not sure about who she was speaking to anymore. "I just want to forget all this pain."</p><p>The reply was curt, sharp. "No, you don't want to <em>forget.</em>"</p><p>Amity raised her head once again, and wiped her cheeks; not only were the tears slightly stinging in her scar, she'd had enough of crying -- it wasn't going to get her anywhere. "Why would I want to remember all this?" </p><p>Alador gazed off-handedly into nothing. "Well, let's see... Because you defeated an unknown creature, when no one else could. Because your siblings stuck by you, no matter what. Because you repaired your relationship with your best friend, all on your own. Because your horrible mother is out of your life, at last. Make no mistake... it has been awful, these past few days. But there were also good things in it. If you were to just forget like you say, you'd be forgetting all of that as well."</p><p>Amity stared at her father, thrown for a loop. How was this the same frozen sheet of iron she'd known her whole life? </p><p>"If you were to scrub these events from your mind, or the events themselves were erased, it's bad either way. Because then you wouldn't be you anymore. Those experiences, good and bad, wouldn't have shaped you. And that's not something you want to think about, Amity." </p><p>"Are you saying I should be grateful for getting abused?!" Amity choked out, not wanting to believe that.</p><p>"<em>No!</em>" Alador shouted, appalled by the very idea. "Of course you should be angry and heartbroken! The things that happened to you were awful! Just remember all of your life, not just the bad bits! It made you, you, the amazing witch that you are!"</p><p>Silence reigned, as Amity mulled over her father's words. </p><p>Alador sighed again, once the silence became overbearing. "I know I'm not a good person, Amity. But I tried to do right by you and your siblings, because I didn't want you ending up like that snake Odalia, or any of the fake friends we made you spend time with. So, from here on out, I say you can pursue your feelings for the human Luz."</p><p>Amity wanted off this emotion train. "I just thought... that you'd be disapproving of her. Because, she's a human, and a girl..."</p><p>Alador cut her off. "And that matters because why?"</p><p>Amity was at a loss, again. Why <em>did</em> it matter? "I..."</p><p>"Exactly," Alador went on. "At the end of the day, her species and gender does not matter. What does matter, however, is universal. Tell me, does she respect and care for you, and you for her? Your relationship cannot last without it." </p><p>Her father's pointed gaze told Amity he wanted an honest answer, no matter what it was. It was, after all, easy to tell what eyes were saying when they were your own. But this was easy; "I do. I really do. And she feels the same way, though differently."</p><p>Alador raised an eyebrow, a subtle hint for Amity to keep talking. "I never actually understood the point of dances until I did one with my Luz," she continued, her voice quiet and not realizing 'her Luz' had slipped out. "I couldn't understand why every romance novel I read had one... but then I had one with her... and I got it. She was mine after that, even though she didn't know it -- she went with me to make me feel better after seeing my worst fear, saying 'that's what friends do', because that's always been her; the sweet, noble dummy."</p><p>Alador made a mental note of what Amity had used to describe Luz. "Have you ever noticed her pining for anyone else?"</p><p>"No?"</p><p>"And does she like girls romantically?"</p><p>"Well, she told me she likes both." <em>Where's he going with this?</em></p><p>Alador looked his youngest daughter right in the eyes; the same eyes as his own. "Then, your chances are very high. And I say, no matter what happens, you need to tell her. Those emotions will eat away at you if you bury them. Believe me, I know. Do you want to wake up every morning next to someone you don't love? Or watch <em>your</em> Luz slip right out of your grip?" </p><p>"But, what if --"</p><p>Alador cut her off yet again. "I don't want to hear any 'what ifs', Amity. If she does have the mind of half a witch but the heart of a hundred, like you say, she won't make your greatest fear a reality. Yes, there's always a chance she might not feel the way you want her to, but you keep that bottled up from her and it can and will hurt your friendship."</p><p>It was at this point that Amity finally understood why Willow couldn't be angry with her anymore. Because she was feeling the same way towards her dad; even if he had let all her suffering happen with the full knowledge of it, he did it because he loved her. And he was further showing it now by giving her all this advice and being there for her now, when she needed him more than ever. </p><p>He continued, "Do you know why we used to arrange marriages? Because us fathers loved our daughters, and wanted to give them the best futures we could, so we set them up with wealthy and attractive witches who could not only take care of them for life and raise a family with them, but could even save the daughter's family if need be." He reached over, placing an arm over her shoulders. "Now, I'm going to make sure you end up with a girl who can not only take care of you and make you happy, but one who'll bring honour to her family and ours, you hear me? And if that girl happens to be a human, so be it." He gave a slight chuckle. "Besides, some girls find facial scars attractive... then again, most of them happen to be humans..." </p><p>Two very specific emotions currently reigned over Amity: relief and gratitude. With a sobbing gasp, Amity threw her arms around her father and hugged him. "Thank you, Dad!"</p><p>"You're welcome, darling," he replied with an awkward laugh, returning the hug and patting her on the back in a way that showed he had no idea how to be affectionate. Not that he didn't love her; he was just really, really awful at showing it. </p><p>"You look like a mess," Alador absent-mindedly added. "Did nobody even offer to clean you up a bit? I understand the situation but you don't have to look like that even though you're injured."</p><p>Amity rolled her eyes along with him, feeling her true snarky self emerging. "They didn't think it was necessary. Bad hair is the <em>least</em> of my problems right now."</p><p>Alador gave a slight chuckle, before pulling away and standing up. "Get some rest. Make sure those wounds heal properly, okay?"</p><p>Amity nodded, and he left the room, leaving her alone with her swirling thoughts. It was funny... spending just twenty minutes in her mother's company had left her more emotionally ruined and exhausted than the entirety of her dice with death due to the monster attack... but now, because of her father, who'd been scheming in the shadows for years to encourage her and the twins' struggle to succeed, it had just been ensured that she may never have to deal with her again.</p><p>And, she thought as she looked down at her hand and stump, when she did get access to all her cosmetics again, she was going to apply them <em>her way,</em> not her mother's way. </p><p> </p><p>It felt so weird for Amity to be doing something as mundane as reapplying her black nail polish. And yet, here she was. Her hand had completely reformed now, so the healers allowed her to go home, but it would still be a couple of days before it regained full function. </p><p>Despite that though, she was almost completely recovered, five days after the Siege of Hexside (as the news called it). The toxin had been flushed entirely out of her system, her right hand had almost completely regrown, she was getting magical bile back into her heart, and her face had finally stopped hurting, even if the faded scars on her face and wrist still served as reminders of her struggle. </p><p>Once she was done, and her hands were damn near symmetrical again (barring the scar that ran all the way around her right wrist), Amity looked at her scarred face. Her features were exactly the same as before, sharp nose, jaw, ears, and eyes, but her hair was different. Now that she was no longer forced to dye it to match her mother and siblings, she'd finally reclaimed her natural auburn colour. However, remembering what her father had said about forgetting, and out of respect for Edric and Emira, she decided to put in that dye again, on her terms. Thus, a mint-green streak the width of her thumb ran through her hair.</p><p>The new look was unorthodox, but Amity had quickly got used to it; this one was hers.</p><p>Going downstairs and into the sitting room, she found her father wearing a thick coat, and reading. His ears pricked up at the sound of her entering, and he placed his book on the table to look at her. </p><p>He remembered very well when Amity was born. She'd always been quiet, logical, caring, and <em>smart.</em> She stared with his eyes, out of Odalia's features, and not understanding what that meant. </p><p>Now, at fifteen years old, she'd started coming into her own, acing all her classes, finding her own friends, overcoming her personal struggles, and pursuing her own interests over the ones set out for her -- a bit like himself at that age. </p><p>Seeing her so vulnerable in that bed, with her right hand amputated off and half of her face melted, had finally pushed him over the edge into nothing but sheer hatred for that creature Odalia. His right elbow twitched now even thinking about it. That had been his time to strike.</p><p>He wondered, not for the first time, what would have happened if he had actually formed a family with the woman he <em>did</em> love. Edric would've loved being a Momma's boy, and Emira and Amity would've both been Daddy's girls to the core. </p><p>
  <em>Whatever it takes.</em>
</p><p>"Father?"</p><p>Amity's voice jolted him out of his reverie. He'd always had more of a bond with her than with the twins. Maybe it was because they were the only ones with auburn hair, or because they both specialized in Abominations. </p><p>"Ah, yes, Amity. I've been meaning to talk to you again, once you'd recovered. How's the hand?" </p><p>Amity closed and opened her right hand a few times, eyes not leaving the scar on her right wrist. "Still a bit stiff, but it's functional."</p><p>"Good. I've been meaning to do something for you; the least I could do after everything that's gone down." </p><p>"Oh?"</p><p>"Yes. Get your coat on and meet me out front," he said, rising out of the chair and summoning his staff; a length of black wood, with subtle gold markings all along it. "We're going to the forests on the Neck."</p><p>Alador's own palisman gazed at her from where he sat; a scorpion named Venator. (Aka 'Hunter'.) The animal's eyes were the sharp ones of a predator, and the pincers looked as if they could snap other palismen in half. But most threatening of all was the tail; a stinger that delivered actual poison into the target.</p><p>With Edric and Emira out doing who-fucking-knows-what, it was easy enough for Amity to grab her coat and meet her father outside, in the manor's front garden. Soon enough, they were both in the air and headed for the Neck.</p><p>Alador was quick to strike up a conversation: "Now, tell me more about this 'Luz' that you've fallen for."</p><p>"What about her?" </p><p>"All of it; what you love about her, what you don't love about her, how she ended up in our realm, if any of the rumours about her are true." </p><p>Any other day of the week, she could confidently sing praises for her dummy to anyone. But right then, it took a few moments for Amity's brain to shift into gear, because half of the things that came to mind were things most, especially her father, would not find as endearing and sweet as she did. </p><p>"She's got a heart of gold, but especially to me... she managed to find a way to perform magic using glyphs, like the ancient witches did... she won't hesitate to jump into danger for those she loves, even fighting the Emperor... she's childish and silly all the time, but I love that about her because she helps bring joy back into my life..." </p><p>Soon, the words were pouring out of Amity like a destroyed dam; all the adoration she had for her dummy flowing out of her mouth. Alador said nothing as he took it all in, waiting for Amity to finish. When she did, memories of happier times had come to him.</p><p>"The way you describe her; it reminds me of a girl I used to be friends with," Alador mused as he flew.</p><p>"Really?"</p><p>"Oh, yes. She was the god of chaos given form; her interest was fun for it's own sake and nothing else. She was boisterous and impulsive, and made an insane amount of noise. She was the ultimate threat to my own perfect record; forcing herself into my life and dragging me into all her pranks. And <em>wow,</em> her singing voice would make even the most awful of Bard magic users wince; she redefined tone deaf." A subtle smile formed on his face, as the memories came back. "Fitting, I guess, that you see her as the mother to your Luz." </p><p>It took a few seconds before it clicked at last for Amity. Well, not really clicked, more like shattered. "Wait... what?! Eda?!" </p><p>"Yes..." Alador sighed. Venator backed it up with a confirming sound. Alador had turned his head away, but something truly beautiful caught his sight. "Oh, Amity, <em>look at that,</em>" </p><p>Following her father's outstretched arm, Amity turned her head to look at what he was pointing at.</p><p>Saying the view along the route was gorgeous would have been the understatement of the decade.  </p><p>The sun was just starting to hit the western horizon, casting a deep shadow over the Titan's corpse, and casting a mix of orange, pink, black and white into the sky. Bright pink, soft clouds completed the aerial view, trawling through the sky like wagon trains. </p><p>The Isles, and everything on it, seemed so far away. The homes, the people, the trees, Lake Lacuna, all of it was stretching out before Alador, Amity, and Venator like a long road. The setting sun kissed everything with an evening light, giving all the things such a warm and inviting hue. </p><p>At any other time, Alador would've loved to spend more time up here with his youngest daughter. Not only to properly appreciate the sunset, but also to catch up on all the bonding time he'd missed. However, there was a more urgent goal, and he was burning daylight. He let Venator fly onwards, until they reached a section of forest on the Titan's throat.</p><p>The woods on the Neck felt like an eternal autumn; rocky, cold, peaceful, and all the trees' leaves were red or gold, or somewhere in between.</p><p>"What are we here for?" asked Amity once they'd landed.</p><p>"A kind of tree that most commonly grows here; it should be bare of any leaves, seeds, or anything like that, and you should be able to feel the magic flowing through it," Alador explained. "It'll be either a brown, white, or black wood. Now, go look for it; we'll find it quicker if we cover more ground by splitting up."</p><p>The pair searched for about an hour in the evening light, but even after it got dark, they still hadn't found it. But come hell or high water, Alador would find some way to make up for all the years of suffering his children went through. Though, considering everything he knew, it might come sooner than he thought, the rate he was going.</p><p>Amity turned to search another section, shoving her way through some thorny plants, singing a small song under her breath. Her nose had gone numb, and her face felt raw, constantly buffeted by the cold night time winds. Though, the burnt side didn't hurt anymore than the unburnt side.</p><p>She shoved some tall bushes out of her way and glanceed around, freezing at the sight in front of her. </p><p>She'd found it; a black wooded, completely bare tree, that she could <em>feel</em> the magic emanating from, even at a few metres away.</p><p>"Father, I found it!" Amity called out, as she approached the grand tree. Willow would be bouncing with glee right now, if she were here.</p><p>His own light orb floating above his head, Alador forced his way into the clearing. "Ah, good! Just the right choice!"</p><p>"Right choice for what?" Amity asked.</p><p>"Your very own witches' staff. Helping you make one is just the reward you deserve after everything these past few days."</p><p>Amity was overcome with joy. Her own staff?! She'd dreamed of a moment like this for years! Her big dream of love and respect had never seemed closer, even as she began to vibrate with happy energy; all the images flashed through her mind of that dream... rolling in all her money... admired and looked up to for her intelligence and caring heart... pulling off feats of magic people could only dream of... her beautiful family...</p><p>
  <em>Luz...</em>
</p><p>Thinking of Luz once again bought on all the moments they'd shared together. And Grom was the one at the forefront of her mind right now. Her ridiculous outfit that only she could pull off, the warm atmosphere she'd felt being herself around her new friends, the satisfaction of beating that infernal house demon, <em>the tree</em>.</p><p>A small part of Amity had wanted to use that thing to make her staff, as a reminder of all Luz had done for her. And with that chance in front of her now, it was hard to pick who to agree with -- her father, or her own subconscious. </p><p>Alador was saying, mostly to himself, "I know that palisman wood is a 'dwindling resource', but we're rich; we don't even know what that means!" </p><p>It bought Amity back into the now. She shook her head, trying to reach a conclusion -- this tree, or the Grom one. </p><p>"Something's bothering you," Alador observed. "What is it?" </p><p>"Oh, um..." Amity muttered, caught off guard. "I was just thinking about another tree I was thinking of using... no, it's fine."</p><p>"Keep talking," was Alador's sharp reply, demanding clarification.</p><p>Amity took a deep breath, and began to recount those days: "I was chosen to be Grom Queen, but I couldn't face my fear -- and I'm still ashamed of myself for that. Luz volunteered to take my place to fight Grom, but when it revealed her fear -- her mom finding out she'd lied to stay on the Isles -- she crumpled, and fled. Before it could finish her, though, I threw myself in front of it, and took the hit." She sighed. "Turns out... my greatest fear was getting rejected. Not being worthy of her love. She didn't even fucking see the vision was obviously her. Then she offered to go with me... as friends," she grit out, still bitter about that part.</p><p>"What happened next, then?" Alador asked, as his youngest daughter's mood shifted to a more dreamy tone. </p><p>"Well, we began to dance, and I used my legs to draw a circle and summon an abomination... about the size of a... large public transit creature, give or take? Yeah, and Luz stuck one of the glyphs she uses for magic on its forehead, and I sent it in for a suicide charge. Leapt right down the thing's throat, and consumed it from the inside out. It became a tree." She almost said 'our tree' but she caught herself at the last minute, remembering who she was speaking to. </p><p>"Then, you both were given Grom tiaras, and now you want to use that tree to make your staff," Alador finished, piecing the puzzle together.</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>A slight smirk came across Alador's face. "You know, the staff and the palisman don't <em>have</em> to come from the same tree, just that the source has magic flowing through..."</p><p>Amity was quicker on the uptake this time. "Wait... really?"</p><p>"Yes. We can make the staff from this tree, and the palisman from your Grom one."</p><p>"Alright!" whooped Amity, feeling like a little girl again, learning the wonders of magic. </p><p>"Very well. I want you to climb up that tree, and reach a branch that will become your staff. Make sure it's free of damage, and easy to prune and cut down." </p><p>Amity's years as Grudgby team captain were once again helping her, as she manually scaled the tree, trying to reach a branch big enough. Eventually, she reached one that was thick enough and long enough to suffice. But she paused, unsure of how to proceed.</p><p>"Chop it off, blast it off, snap it off, doesn't matter!" Alador shouted up. "Just make sure to get a length at least as tall as you are!" </p><p>Gripping the branch tight, Amity slowly began leaning more of her weight onto it, hearing the wood snap under the increasing pressure. Just before it broke, though, she gripped the trunk once again and gave one more good tug. Feeling it break off in her hands, Amity slid back down the tree to the ground, branch in hand. Alador gave the chosen branch a once over and nodded his silent approval.</p><p>"Now, guide me to this tree you made for Grom. There are many cliff edges on the Isles, and I don't want to visit each one right now," Alador said as he hopped back on Venator's staff. </p><p>Amity hopped on sidesaddle, and the two were off once again. </p><p>The stop at the familiar cliffside was much quicker; all Amity had to do this time was lean over from where she was sat, grip one of the highest branches of the Grom tree, and break it off.</p><p>This wood was much more durable, though; Amity had to summon a small fireball to blast it off. Despite that, she still ended up with a piece of Grom wood about twice the size of her hand. </p><p>"Ah," Alador muttered as he looked at the chunk of Grom wood. "Good choice. That one won't be the most powerful of magic wood, but it will be the most durable. You could blast it, drown it, burn it, crush it, but it'll still be there."</p><p>"It endures..." Amity muttered, realising something else. "Like me..."</p><p>"Yes!" agreed Alador. Venator made another happy scorpion sound. </p><p>The ride back to the manor was one filled with anticipation. </p><p> </p><p>Amity frowned, looking down at the awkwardly shaped piece of wood she'd recovered from the Grom tree. "Am I doing it right?" After they'd got back, and carved the staff properly, Amity had been instructed to 'listen to the wood', whatever that meant.</p><p>"Keep working, you just need to focus," Alador replied, sipping a dark blue liquid out of his favourite mug and Amity sighed.</p><p>"This isn't something they teach us at school; how do you even 'transfer essence'?" she grumbled, moving into a different sitting position. The wood was sitting right in front of her, on a low table.</p><p>"All you need to do is focus your will into the wood, and when you feel something coming from it, speak to the soul inside; will it to become what you want using your own soul. That's transferring essence, and that forms the link between a witch and their palisman. And besides, when has struggle ever stopped you?" was his knowing reply. </p><p>"That's true," Amity muttered, placing her hands back on either side of the wood, hovering a few inches away. There was a sound coming from it, but it was nothing more than a barely audible whisper. </p><p>After a few more moments of intense concentration on that whisper, a new feeling finally radiated from the wood, and Amity closed her eyes, taking a deep, long breath, and letting it out. The wood shuddered a little. Louder whispers filled her ears from the wooden block, and Amity felt something brush against her very mind; a soft, curious tapping, as if her brain had a front door and something wanted to enter it. Directing her thoughts to the sensation, Amity's inner self pulled it open. A shapeless blob of light was on the other side, and she slowly held out her hand towards it, imagining a very specific form. In the realm of the living, the wood between her hands began to levitate slightly, glow, and break away like pieces of chocolate, before a perfectly carved aquatic creature, with a bottle snout, a long, smooth body, three fins (one on the top and one on each side), and a powerful back flipper emerged.</p><p>It was a dolphin. </p><p>The wooden dolphin rippled and turned to flesh, the grain turning to smooth skin perfect for the water. Its flippers twitched as it looked back up at Amity with big beady black eyes that reminded her of Luz's brown ones. </p><p>"Oh..." Amity opened her eyes again, and wanted to squeal like a little girl, as she cupped him in her hands. She'd done it; she'd made a palisman all her own, using the tree she'd made with her Luz. </p><p>"Decided on a name?" asked Alador from where he was still seated, bringing Amity back into the here and now.</p><p>"Echo. Hi there," Amity cooed, her dolphin giving a happy squeal as he nuzzled into her hand. Saying it out loud just made it feel <em>right,</em> and the little dolphin seemed to agree. </p><p>"Why a dolphin?" Alador asked, leaning forwards. "You don't see many aquatic palismans these days." </p><p>"Because they symbolise intelligence, and compassion; the two things I want to have more than anything," Amity replied, before starting to baby talk her little dolphin, as she felt the little amount of essence she'd transferred coming back to her, like the magic bile in her heart.</p><p>Seeing it sent a warmth through Alador's heart; he knew Amity was going to be a great mother one day... better than her own... and both of his. </p><p>"Oh my Titan, <em>Mittens!</em>"</p><p>"You hear that, my precious baby? The two annoying creatures are back." Amity whispered to her dolphin son, pointedly ignoring the returning twins. </p><p>"Aw, you love us," Emira cooed, as Edric quickly moved to sit opposite Amity on the floor. He held out his hand slowly, waiting for the dolphin to come to him.</p><p>Unfortunately for Amity, Echo immediately took a liking to Edric; he jumped into his outstreched hand with another squeal. </p><p>"Wait, he actually likes you? I'm so sorry, my baby," Amity muttered out. Edric just laughed, as he continued to stroke the little creature.</p><p>"What's his name?" Emira asked, once she'd stopped cooing at the little dolphin.</p><p>"I decided on Echo."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Phase Four: The Ship sets sail</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>On the day that Hexside was scheduled to reopen, Alador, Amity, Edric and Emira were headed in to settle some issues regarding the kids' education stance. The divorce had been a chaotic mess from the start, with a vast amount of people involved, and many compromises made along with small armies of hired people. Alador had spent a significant amount of time securing his assets from Odalia's attempts to rob him blind, and this was one of the last things he had to do. He'd secured his children, his home, all the wealth that belonged to him specifically (about 80% of it), and all of it astoundingly rapidly. Truth be told, he'd had the process prepared months in advance to have it be this quick.</p><p>They flew there on Venator's staff, and Amity noted that his tail was pointed upwards when in flight, allowing him to serve as a kind of poison spearhead. Alador led them in to the principal's office, taking a seat in front of Bump's desk. Amity sat next to him, with the twins taking up positions on the edges. </p><p>"I'm glad to see you again, Alador," greeted Bump, his voice carrying an undercurrent of caution that did not go unnoticed. "It's been a long time since you were last here, wasn't it?"</p><p>The twins' ears seemed to flicker like an old, used torch and they both shot a look at their father, who let out a weary sigh -- just one of many.</p><p>"Can we please stick to why I'm actually here, instead of wasting our time discussing past... chaos," Alador replied with a tight face as he stared at the principal, who only gave a shrug in return. "We have more important issues at hand, regarding my children's... positions," he continued, rolling his hand around in a circle like he was searching for the correct word to use. "Their mother was responsible for most of their official documents, and I'm here to bring all of it into my care."</p><p>"Ah yes, Edric, Emira, and Amity. Good to see you, at last. Your mother paid me a very interesting visit in person, the day after the Siege." Amity sat ramrod straight at that, her face going pale and her chest once again feeling as though it was being crushed in a giant vice. There was only one single reason she could think of as to why her mother would visit Bump, and the idea terrified her to her core.</p><p>"She wanted me to remove all three of you from Hexside, and threatened to bring down the law upon me if I didn't," Principal Bump explained, his tone of voice immensely regretful. Amity's world tilted on its axis, and she almost fell out of her seat, if not for Edric catching her and holding her tightly to try and reground her. As her breath froze in her lungs and she grasped her brother's arm, Amity just couldn't look away from Bump's obviously remorseful eyes. The idea she'd thought of <em>had</em> come true; she'd been expelled, along with the twins. Could she even keep learning magic here? How else would she learn magic? </p><p>As Amity's mind kept scrolling through contingency plans, Alador groaned. "This is a parting gift, through and through. One last act of spite that I couldn't prepare for." Before he could say more, Principal Bump held up his hand. He gave each of the four Blights a pointed look, before drawing his chair forward and sitting closer, linking his hands together and resting his arms on his desk.</p><p>"There have also been many rumours going around, between that night of the Siege and now. Many of them pointed at slandering you specifically, Alador," Bump explained, in a much lower voice, as if he was sharing secrets. </p><p>"Really?" Emira asked, curious despite herself. "What sort of things are they saying?"</p><p>"All manner of things," Bump went on, looking right at the Blight patriarch. "One of the most popular ones said that you had a serious anger problem only made worse by the consumption of alchemhol, and that you had been repeatedly abusing your children and wife -- that they lived in fear of you, and that the person who scarred Amity's face was you." </p><p>Cold rage shot through Alador at those words -- though he sat stock still. "What?!" </p><p>"Yes," Bump slowly nodded. "Another popular one said that it was you who had influenced the twins into becoming the troublemakers they are, and they were the ones who scarred Amity in a training accident." </p><p>As Edric's hands clenched into tight fists, Emira made a sound of disgust. "Are you kidding? We'd never do that!" </p><p>Principal Bump seemed to ignore them, choosing instead to keep looking at Alador, who was still slowly quivering in rage. And that told the principal all he needed.</p><p>Alador's right sleeve had ridden up, allowing Bump to catch a glimpse of the Abomination tattoo on the inside of his wrist -- a signifier of his Coven, but it didn't actually block him from performing other magic. He'd faked it when he entered. </p><p>Alador Blight had distinguished himself when he got into the Abomination Coven, not just because he'd bribed the officers to not place a magical lock on him. No; his rise through the ranks had been as swift as Lilith Clawthorne's, as a man who could surround himself with Abomination goop and remotely pilot it from within was invaluable. Within ten years of leaving Hexside and coming into the coven, he was master of it and had a direct line to the Emperor, and today that branch of magic was more advanced than ever.</p><p>Oh, he was smart. He didn't simply just experiment with new ways to create, control, and summon the things, he also engaged in secret backroom deals with other covens to mix their magic; something normally owtlawed. He bought ingredients from potioneers and learned about control from beast keepers and sound commands from bards, and recompensated them in kind. </p><p>And in doing so, his own troopers had been moved into place. Experimenters, brewers, enforcers, recruiters, even secretaries and anti-corruption agents; if they were in the Abomination coven, nine out of ten were loyal to Alador first and foremost. They ranged from farmers' children, to lesser lords, to small business owners, and even demons, but no one could deny they were all far more capable than their predecessors... not to mention how corruption within the ranks had fallen to almost nothing...</p><p>No, a man like that would not abuse his children or his wife. Not from what Bump knew. </p><p>"But clearly, all of those rumours are false," Bump finished, noting the confusion writ across Alador's face at his words -- and those of the twins. "I've seen the truth for myself. And I won't be cowing to Odalia Graves' demands."</p><p>"But... what about, you know... the threats?" Amity asked, afraid. Bump turned his gaze on her.</p><p>"She made the mistake of asking for records that I have full control over. Officially, I will be banishing all of you from this building. Unofficially, however, I will continue to have you all taught magic as if nothing changed," Bump finished.</p><p>Alador's face now shifted to a mood of respect. "Well, well, Bump. I didn't think you had it in you, considering the past." Bump pointedly ignored the last part of the sentence.</p><p>Amity, holding her breath and not quite hoping to believe it, whispered, "So we can keep going to school here?"</p><p>"Of course," the principal said. "I can delete the retinal patterns on your profiles, and replace them with those of deceased people. Then, I can copy your retinal patterns over to new profiles under fake names, with slightly altered records to throw off the scent. I can update both sets identically, and when you graduate, at the point when it's too late to do anything, I can simply delete the false identites and copy the retinal patterns back over to the original records." </p><p>Amity let out a huge sigh of relief, as gratitude for her principal shot through her veins. </p><p>"Oh, yes! Go on, Principal Bump!" whooped Emira. Bump moved his head away and coughed into his hand to hide the smile that broke out on his face, before turning his gaze back on Alador.</p><p>"You need my help to speed up the process?" Alador said, putting the wordless question out there. At Bump's nod, he continued, "Of course. Won't be the first time I've done something like this."</p><p>"They will also all need to pick a track to study," Bump added as he went to retrieve the paperwork in question. Amity's expression shifted to confusion.</p><p>"Wait, I can't study Abomination magic anymore?" she asked. Bump shook his head.</p><p>"Not exactly. In order to further dirty the trail, you are technically being re-enrolled. And as such, all new students, no matter what stage they're at, must choose one of the nine tracks to study," he explained, twirling his finger in the air to form a spell circle that washed all the colour from the trio's uniforms. Amity gazed at her now pure white sleeves, trying to pick a choice from the now wide open avenues. </p><p>"I understand Bump is letting some do more than one track at once now, correct?" Alador observed, from where he was filling in the paperwork. </p><p>"Ah yes, the test program I'm running, to see mixed magic in action. The four students who do so are very promising." A lightbulb seemed to flicker to life in Bump's head. "A trio of highly capable students like your children seem like excellent candidates for such a test, right Alador?"</p><p>"I agree; I think that all three of you should take this chance."</p><p>"Why?" asked the twins in unison.</p><p>He looked up at them both. "In your case, your pranks aren't going to last forever. You both need to have some kind of skill you can fall back on when it all goes away." He then turned to face Amity. "And you already wanted to learn more than just one thing, right? Well, now you can." </p><p>Emira was the first one to break the silence that followed. "I think I'd like to go with Illusions and Beast Keeping, then. If he keeps bringing back creatures, it's best someone learns to take care of them," she answered, punctuating it with a glare at her twin.</p><p>This threw them all for a bit of a loop, though Edric was the first to recover, sporting his usual smirk. "Because it couldn't possibly have to do with a certain cute girl, right?"</p><p>A familiar sound reached Amity's ears that she would never have expected to hear from her sister; a dainty gay squeak. Whipping her head around, she saw her red in the face and eyes darting everywhere; a painfully familiar sight. "'A certain cute girl', huh? What's her name?" Amity asked.</p><p>"Oh, ah, Limey. I-I-I meant Viney!" Emira almost shouted, causing all the heads in Bump's office to turn her way completely. </p><p>As a few snorts escaped Edric's throat, Amity's mind flowed back to Luz's first day at Hexside, with the incident with the Greater Basilisk. "Oh, I think I remember her. She was the one that wanted to use her griffin as a healing assistant, right?" She'd become acquainted with the upperclassman trio after that day, again thanks to Luz.</p><p>"Oh yeah, her griffin Emira is a true sweetie. He even let me feed him a couple times!"</p><p>Amity was now holding back giggles of her own, at the delightfully silly image of that girl feeding her sister. "I thought she said his name was Puddles?" </p><p>"Duh, that's what I said, ahahahaha, ha ha."</p><p>As Edric tried desperately to not burst into laughter, Alador watched in quiet amusement at the disastrous state his eldest daughter was in, as she rambled on about this witch and her griffin. It was a little surprising to see her like this...if she wasn't causing her usual carnage with her brother, she was rather good at keeping her head. </p><p>But then again, Alador remembered, he too had a similar (though less intrusive) problem with his own eventual feelings for his crush; a red-haired, glasses-wearing witch who struggled just like he did to achieve what was simply handed to her little sister, mayhem incarnate. </p><p>
  <em>Whatever it takes.</em>
</p><p>Noticing that her father's eyes were on her, Emira quickly made herself more presentable... or, more like tried to. As she straightened herself in her seat, she took several slow, awkward breaths to calm herself down, though her face still burned as red as human blood. Edric was almost choking in an attempt to control himself in the face of the ultimate blackmail material.</p><p>"Well, yes, those are my choices for tracks," Emira said with an unexpectedly shaky voice, doing her best to remain calm in the face of rampaging gay thoughts. Unfortunately for her, she then went to lean against something solid, but she'd forgotten that the only thing there was air. She proceeded to tumble out of her seat and crash into the floor, completely reducing herself to a useless gay mess. </p><p>And Edric just burst into wheezing laughter, Alador and Bump laughing along with him. Even Amity found herself giggling, and a newfound warmth found its way into her heart. Knowing now that her big sister was just as gay as she was, their bond had gotten that bit stronger. Not to mention how Emira could easily have been the one scarred for life, instead of Amity. </p><p>Eventually though, Edric laughed himself out and gave his answer. "And I'd like to go with Illusions and Potions."</p><p>Emira got up from the ground and sat back down, surprised. "Really? Why?"</p><p>Edric seemed to crumple a little, now that all eyes had turned to him; he wasn't used to having everyone's undivided attention despite his prankster heart. "So I won't have to be alone. I might actually be able to not be the butt of the jokes anymore; I could be something more," he answered, in a voice that sounded way too tender and vulnerable.</p><p>Despite that, it was a good answer; Amity remembered her brother saying a few times that his sisters meant everything to him, but he also clearly wanted to be something more than just the crybaby, the goofball, the immature fool. To not be just a glorified accessory for whatever female figure was dominating his life.</p><p>Either way, Bump accepted the answers and twirled his finger again to colour the twins' uniforms. Their sleeves were still that light blue colour, but Emira's leggings were now a dark orange, while Edric's were a light yellow. </p><p>That just left Amity to pick one. However, thoughts of her human once again made their way in, and mixed with her iron will and obsession with achieving her goals.</p><p>Her big dream was getting that bit closer, if Echo had anything to say about it. Now, she had a chance at studying everything without needing to shackle herself to the Emperor's Coven. Admittedly, it wouldn't be in-depth like before, but that was nothing her usual study schedule -- five o'clock starts and all -- couldn't fix. "I'd actually like to do all the tracks at once; to get a better idea of what they can and can't do," she answered.</p><p>The principal simply smiled and gave his finger another twirl, colouring her uniform to match the only other rainbow one in the school; Luz's. "Absolutely, Miss Blight. You will all need to catch up with all of your new classes, but seeing as you are some of our most capable pupils, I'm sure I can trust that won't be a problem," he said. </p><p>"Absolutely, sir. You can count on me," Amity replied, as the twins both gave conformation. Principal Bump then produced three new paper schedules, handing one to each of them.</p><p>"You three head on out to your new classes. I believe Alador and I will be busy with our subterfuge," he said, turning back to the Blight patriarch. "This makes me remember all the times when you were a student here."</p><p>Alador raised a brow at him, confused at what he implied. "Your memory must be broken; I made sure not to be a troublemaker during my time in the school." </p><p>"What about that time when you started that riot in the cafeteria, using abominations?"</p><p>Edric, Emira and Amity looked between the two adults with identical surprised expressions. Alador simply shot Bump a look of annoyance.</p><p>"You and I both know I only took someone's lunch money, under social duress. I was not the one who started the abomination riot. And even then, you let the three of us off light because we saved the school from her mistake."</p><p>The smile on Bump's face vanished, as that disastrous day -- one of the many disasters the real culprit had caused -- replayed in his mind. The Blight kids took that moment to make a quick exit from Bump's office, making a beeline for their lockers.</p><p>Amity stole a glance at her schedule and found that Healing magic was her first new thing. Walking into the Healing Track hall for the first time, Amity found her classroom quickly and the professor quickly got her settled in as the lessons for the day were set.</p><p>Amity was paired up with a horned, half-demon girl named Sierra, and was soon glad; despite her clear neurodivergence, she showed an imperial ton of patience whenever she botched the spells or misunderstood what to actually use, and gave encouragement whenever Amity successfully healed even a simple wound.</p><p>Her little tail also wagged like King's upon seeing Echo. </p><p>By the end of the class, Amity emerged with a few simple healing spells in her repertoire; the kind that could heal cuts, scrapes, bruises, and could dull pain. And oddly, it came to her just as easily as Abominations had. </p><p>She went to place Echo's staff back in the <em>extra velum</em> (aka 'beyond the veil') space that most witches stashed all kinds of stuff in, but decided against it; instead choosing to display her dolphin son proudly. She slung his staff over her back because it was too long for the hip, and he seemed to be on board with it. </p><p>Before she went to lunch, she took the time to stick a little doodle that she'd done in the healer's building and finished at home inside her locker; her older self, draped in a black robe, Echo slung over her shoulder, surrounded by loving family and friends... and most importantly...</p><p>Luz kissing her. </p><p> </p><p>Meanwhile, in the cafeteria, a Bard track student was using his new artifact to practice some background ambience. The twins were telling everyone of the shitstorm that went down in their family, and many weren't taking it well, refusing to accept what they were being told. The rumours had spread like wildfire:</p><p>"You guys got to wake up!" Skara was saying. "'Domestic violence' is just another phrase for wife beating. You hiding any bruises that your dad gave you? Any black eyes?"</p><p>Emira slammed her fist into the table. "Everybody simmer down! Last I checked, an accusation didn't become fact just because a woman said it!" </p><p>"You bunch of fools," another girl named Michalka cut in, with all the respect of a foul smelling brick thrown through a window. "Positive masculinity doesn't exist outside of empowered women. Fathers are unnecessary, because they're all a toxic influence. They deserve to be domestically abused!"</p><p>Edric was practically seething; the twins weren't about to let anyone badmouth their dad after what they'd seen. "You've been nothing but poison ever since you set foot in this school."</p><p>"That right, default settings?!" With that, she lunged out with a thick Construction Track hand, and grabbed him by the scruff of his cowl, yanking him into the air.</p><p>"Pathetic," she growled out, as Edric struggled to get loose and Emira tried to pull him away. "This is why real strong women have a moral responsibility to beat their men, and why they should fear us! The sooner you bunch of peons figure that out --"</p><p>"Heard about enough of this!"</p><p>
  <em>Record scratch, freeze frame.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIbMbXjbW98">Press play.</a>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>You know, looking back, it all starts to make sense.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The Titan didn't strike me when I yelled at it to do so, because it loved me, and wanted me to be amazing. Just like Dad. And all that suffering was its gift -- a really messed up gift, but still a gift -- to me to help me understand lessons of life before I became an adult. Again, just like Dad.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Now I know, and knowing is exactly zero percent of the battle, not fifty. Whichever toy ad in disguise taught that one, was wrong. Doesn't make them any less great though!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Luz had never been one to be turned on before, due to how badly her crushes on anyone back home ended. But seeing Amity, standing in the cafeteria like all the great Western standoffs was sending tingly feelings through her heart... and crotch. </p><p>Dios mío, she looked <em>awesome...</em> sporting an All Track uniform like she was, a staff all her own slung over her back like a sword (was that a <em>dolphin?</em>), her usual tsundere glare made all the better by the burn scar on her face, and her hair flowing like some kind of chocolate river. It looked so soft; Luz really wanted to run her fingers through it.</p><p>
  <em>Oh... wow... sports.</em>
</p><p>However, she was bought back into the here and now by Michalka throwing Edric into Emira, bonking their heads together. As the twins cried out in pain, and Emira staggered backwards with the sudden weight of Edric in her arms, the pair crashed into Luz and all three tumbled to the ground.</p><p>Michalka was now standing directly opposite Amity, on the other side of the cafeteria. A bottle was rolling along the floor between the two opponents, and everyone, even the teachers, were waiting with baited breath for what came next. </p><p>"The man's got all you fooled, hasn't he?" she sneered. Every time the word 'man' slipped past her lips, it furthered Amity's desire to grind her into the dirt. Like that's all Alador is and that's all everyone needs to know about him; that he's male, not that he was always there for his children, helping them in his own way, like he was Seviro from Azura. Amity was having flashbacks to her mother by now. "But then again, I don't have sympathy for you, or respect; thinking heterophobia exists? Defending insecure 'male domestic abuse victims' who obviously wanted it and liked it? Seriously? I guess you deserve a novelty creature who can't be one of us, right?"</p><p>Amity took the toothpick she'd been chewing on out of her mouth. "You don't get to insult my dad, or my dummy like that, you corpulent goblin." </p><p>She flicked the toothpick across the room, and it hit her in the chest. It spurred Michalka into action, as she quickly grabbed one of the tables with an animalistic grunt, and hurled it towards Amity. Because of its weight, however, it travelled slowly, allowing her to dodge the flying table.</p><p>Michalka was now coming in with a charge tackle, shoulder first. With her years of Grudgby as team captain under her belt, it was easy for Amity to combat roll out of the way at the last minute.</p><p>The crowd gasped.</p><p>Pulling her arm out of the now-dented wall, Michalka bought both her arms up above her head, and down for a crushing blow. Amity rolled out of the way before it could land, and jumped back up just in time to dodge a wild swing at her face. She leaped away from another wild swing, and grabbed an empty bottle from the table next to her. Gripping it by the neck, Amity hurled it at her foe, releasing it with a snap of her wrist, like a frisbee. It whirled through the air and struck the huge girl directly in the stomach, shattering on impact from the force of the throw. </p><p>The music from the Bard artifact was still playing. Michalka seemed to notice this in her rage, and quickly grabbed it tightly by the sides, as if preparing for a deadlift. </p><p>The Blight recognised the intent right away. "Don't do something you're gonna regret, Michalka!" spat Amity. </p><p>Her words fell on deaf ears; she ripped out the artifact from its socket, causing the music it had been playing to fade to a stop. Amity slipped back into Grudgby mode, ready to dodge the thing. Lifting it over their head, Michalka let out a grunt as she hurled it at Amity, smashing it on the floor as she leapt out of the way.</p><p>The noise and smoke from the distraction provided Amity the chance to grab Echo's staff, whirl it around a few times, and then ram the base into Michalka's spine.</p><p>She was quick to collapse, letting out a "That ain't fair!" while doing so. It was a spell used by the demon hunters on large beasts, making it perfectly fitting for this situation.</p><p>The crowd let out a cheer as Amity stood victorious; wielding Echo in a manner straight out of her Azura books. </p><p>But she wasn't done; moving around to her side, Amity rolled her foe over with her foot in the manner one would kick out a rolled up carpet, and got up on her front, her foot just below her neck.</p><p>"Tell me, is it all men you hate, or just specific ones?"</p><p>The stuttering began. "Wh-What are you t-talking about?"</p><p>"Just shut up and admit the truth. You hate men, don't you? They gave you a few choice bad memories, then a bunch of deluded anarchists tell you misandric shit you want to hear; that all men are evil and you must make them into slaves? Am I wrong?"</p><p>"That's not true! Men are inferior to us! I--" </p><p>"<em>And that boy at Grom who let you down a couple years ago, and the deatbead dad who walked out on you? Both of whom probably just wanted to get away from you and your shit?! All the other guys who passed you over for other girls and guys who were actually nice to them and were worth their fucking time got the better hand and made you ashamed of yourself, so now you're spouting shit out your mouth to make everyone else as ashamed as you. Am I wrong?!</em>"</p><p>She almost seemed to shed her skin like a snake under Amity's sudden yelling. "<em>Shut up, you fucking whore! You're right, I hate all of those disgusting creatures, and it's empowering to see them reduced to wrecks! Women like you are just enabling them, so you fucking should get your face burnt like that! You're lucky you've got that lump of wood or I would--</em>"</p><p>Echo let out his first squeak of fury as Amity slammed the base of his staff into the ground, sending an electric spike through her foe. Amity's voice then shifted gears to the coldest and most cutting one in her arsenal -- one that could be mistaken for her mother's. "Or fucking what, you loathsome cunt? You're just scared of the truth; that you are nothing. If you tried to do anything to me or the ones I love, I would crush you like a toothpick in the Titan's fist. Because I'm better than you in every way, shape, and form. In fact, everyone else besides the other lowlife mistakes of the Isles are better than you. You're a waste of space and air, nothing more. So you marched to your early grave and started believing idiotic madness to try and prove you weren't... but guess what? You just proved the opposite; the truth... that you are, and always will be, <em>nothing.</em>"</p><p>Amity leaned closer, to the face of her immobilized and fearful foe, ignoring the shocked crowd around her. "I don't want to have to have this conversation, or this fight, again," she said, in a voice with the cold edge of Silencer, and sparing a glance to the ruins of the Bard artifact she'd intended to use as a weapon. "And fix the damn music box while you're at it!" Amity stood back up, and hopped off, walking towards her siblings and her human.</p><p>Boscha gave a small chuckle, before nudging Willow in the side. "Now <em>that's</em> who I've been waiting on."</p><p>"Satisfied?" Willow replied. </p><p>"You bet," Boscha shot back. "The Amity I know's still there."</p><p>Amity was now approaching the people on the floor. "You okay?"</p><p>"Yeah, we're good," Edric replied, as he hoisted Emira up by her shoulders. </p><p>"Me too," Luz added from where she'd crawled out from under them, and tried to get up.</p><p>"Oh, I don't think so. Scoop!" </p><p>Luz was a bit heavier than she looked; Amity staggered a little to lift her in her arms, but it soon became rather easy. </p><p>Internally, Luz was swooning a little, and understood how Amity felt when she'd done the same thing on the Grudgby field. And how was it that getting half of her face burned made Amity look <em>even more</em> beautiful, if that was even possible? Maybe Luz just had a thing for scars. "Oooh, I like where this is going!"</p><p>"Sometimes, even the fearless champion has to be saved," Amity shot back, only just managing to fight down her fierce blushing. "Where to?"</p><p>"The Bard hall." </p><p>"Gotcha," Amity replied, marching out as the crowd dispersed.</p><p>"Uuh... a little help here?" came a voice from the floor. "Anybody...?"</p><p> </p><p>After Amity had dropped Luz off at her next class and grabbed a quick snack, she headed to the other new one on her list; Plants. That meant she'd have someone friendly to help her, and she could catch back up with said someone.</p><p>Marching into the Plant Track room, the professor turned his head to address her. </p><p>"Ah, Miss Blight!" he greeted her. "I was told you'd be joining us! I've already made arrangements to get you up to current standards. Is it okay for you to work with one of our best students?"  </p><p>"A Blight only associates with the strongest of witches," Amity said, a knowing, almost smug smile on her face. "So, with that in mind, I think I should be partnered up with Willow Park, don't you?"</p><p>"Ah yes!" he agreed. "Miss Park, would you be so kind as to bring Miss Blight here up to speed on our craft?"</p><p>"Er... sure..." Willow agreed, wide eyed with shock as Amity slid next to her on the bench she was sat on. </p><p>"We're... growing Nullberry bushes today..." Willow absent-mindedly explained, processing this sudden change in her former (former? Debateable.) friend. "They're used in a bunch of magic-removing purposes... and they're at the point where all we have to do is keep an eye on them..."</p><p>"Okay," Amity replied. </p><p>Silence reigned as the plant witch looked over at her newly multitracking friend, who was gazing into the bush.</p><p>"Do you remember the last time we could just discuss things?" Amity asked, after a few moments. "Where things just slowed down, got quiet, and all we did was talk?"</p><p>"We were six," Willow replied, remembering. "I had a milkshake at the time." </p><p>There was silence again for a few more moments as they both looked at the bush, before Willow asked, "What's happened, Amity?"</p><p>Amity then told her everything that she didn't know so far; her parents' divorce, what her mother had tried to do, how her father had stepped in, and Echo. He immediately took a liking to Willow, leaping into her lap and sqeaking in delight when she put him on her shoulder. </p><p>When Amity finished, Willow shook her head in shock. "Wow, Amity, that's a lot to take in."</p><p>"Why do you think that I waited until now before I even bought it up? The trees have ears around here, and in one case, literally."</p><p>"Wait, what tree... oh..." Amity laughed as Willow lightly punched her in the arm, letting out a few giggles of her own.</p><p>Willow, having processed it all, then came out with, "I think I get it now."</p><p>"You do?"</p><p>"Yeah. First, before that whole thing where you wanted to purge yourself out of my past, I was focused on just not thinking about our past. I didn't mind that Luz wanted to be your friend, but I didn't want a part in it."</p><p>"I don't blame you," Amity muttered, face grim.</p><p>"Just shut up and let me talk," Willow cut in. "Then after it, and especially after you got burnt and lost your hand, I started seeing it all from more angles than one. First off, you did nothing wrong when you had to cut me off!"</p><p>Amity went to protest, but Willow clamped a hand over her mouth, leaving Echo to make the confused squeak for her. "You were caught in an awful situation, and you protected me the best you could. Besides, you were a kid! What else could you have done?"</p><p>That shut down any and all protests Amity had. What else <em>could</em> she have done? </p><p>Willow continued, "As for what happened after, I meant what I said; I can't be angry at you anymore. I mean, I'd be lying if I said it didn't hurt, but I understand your choices. You were protecting me, in your own screwed up way. And now, you're looking more like the person you are; who you always were." </p><p>Amity didn't have words. After a few moments to process, she eventually said, "Have I apologised enough for that yet?" </p><p>"Yes, Ami," Willow sighed exasperatedly. "If you want to really be better, how about you stop sucking up to me and act like the real you?" </p><p>"You mean it?" Hope seemed to flicker in Amity's face.</p><p>"Yeah. Act like the bitch who sleeps with her stuffed Otabin plushie in secret, and who's practically addicted to thornberries!" </p><p>"Oh, oh, and her best friend in the whole universe <em>isn't</em> a literal tree hugger who spends more time in her bedroom garden than she does with her family, friends and shower combined?" </p><p>"She is," agreed Willow, grinning, "but she's got innocence." </p><p>Amity made a farting sound into her hand. "Boo. She's a clod, is what she is." It held none of the usual malicious intent that Willow had once associated with Amity. </p><p>"Yeah, she's a clod that you don't turn into a gay disaster around."</p><p>"Funny you should mention that; I'm gonna do it," Amity said. "I'm gonna ask Luz to be my girlfriend after school today." </p><p>Willow's eyebrows shot into her hairline. "Where'd you find the courage?" </p><p>"One of the things my dad said in the healer's was that I really should go for it," Amity explained. "We're really compatible, and I've got a good chance that she'll like me back. And even if she doesn't, I'll find a way to move on. Maybe. But no matter what, I'm gonna say it today; you'd never stop calling me a disaster if I didn't, and my friendship with Luz would fall apart."</p><p>"I mean, we could try and get her to love you with a plant pheromone I can make for you," Willow said, raising an amused eyebrow once again. </p><p>Amity shook her head. "Willow, I'd sooner kiss my brother and sister." </p><p>Willow threw back her head and roared with laughter, to the point that all eyes in the room were looking at her and she nearly fell off her seat. </p><p>Amity just looked at her with a flat, dead gaze. "You know, it's odd; some of the most important people in my life are people I completely despise, and love with all my heart at the same time. My father, both my siblings, and my best friend the tree." </p><p>Willow let out another few giggles. </p><p>"I couldn't do that to her," Amity grimly continued, as she looked right at the Nullberry bush. "I'll deal with the situation as it comes. Yeah, it would hurt if she doesn't love me back. Yeah, I'd probably be a mess that you'd have to feed ice scream for a week to get me to move. I'm sorry for that, but not sorry enough to cling on. I'd sooner jump headfirst into the Titan's Maw." </p><p>Willow put an arm around her shoulder. "Well, I'll make sure to bake some of Dad's amazing chocolate chip cookies. And by the way, I think your chances are high too."</p><p>Amity was done with all those expectations that said she couldn't be who she was; she threw her arms around Willow and pulled her in for a hug, smiling as she felt Willow hug her back. </p><p>"I'm so glad we're friends again, Tree," Amity sighed out.</p><p>"Me too, Ami. I really missed you, you know?" Willow replied. "And make sure you let me know what happens with Luz; I want to know it all!" </p><p> </p><p>The school day over, Amity stood on the front steps and took in a deep breath, before slowly letting it out. She felt liberated; as if she was free at last to do what she wanted, when she wanted, how she wanted, with who she wanted.</p><p>"Amity!" Luz was currently barrelling towards her. When she was a few paces away, she stopped to properly take in Amity's facial scar. </p><p>Had she seen it just before or after the Siege, Luz would have hunted down a lightning glyph just to wrap a chain in it and smash Odalia, but now she was overcome with sympathy for Amity and how much she'd gone through. </p><p>Amity herself took a deep breath and gazed into those big brown eyes. The finality of the choice she'd made was calming; it gave her the strength and courage she'd needed. "Would you take a walk with me? There's some things I wanted to talk to you about." </p><p>"Of course, you first."</p><p>"Thanks. And there's someone I want you to meet proper," Amity began as they walked. Drawing her staff once again, Echo popped off the top and leaped into Luz's hands. As Amity had expected, Luz let out a multitude of squeals and coos at how cute her little dolphin was, as well as multiple strokes and baby talk phrases.</p><p>Eventually, though, Echo sat back on Amity's shoulder, and she was at last able to explain everything she could to Luz. Luz's expression morphed constantly throughout, from shock, to anger, to humour, to admiration, to fear, to confusion. She occasionally threw in a question that Amity answered as much as she could, but otherwise stayed silent until she'd finished.</p><p>"I never got the chance to say it before," Amity slowly said once she'd finished recounting, "but I'm so sorry for what I said about your mom. I know you miss her, and I knew that would hurt, but I had to get you to leave."</p><p>"I actually don't miss her..." Luz muttered. "That's what worries me..." </p><p>"What?" </p><p>Luz flinched; Amity had heard it. "That's not what I meant... I don't miss her as much as I should, and I just hate myself for it!"</p><p>Amity laid a hand on her shoulder. "Luz... I don't get it. Help me out here. Why don't you miss your home and your mom?"</p><p>Luz let out a weary sigh. "When I think about the word 'home', I don't think about the human world anymore. I've been here so long that I just automatically think about The Owl House; Eda, King, Lilith, Hooty..." She took a shaky breath. "D'you remember the day you came over, the Grudgby game afterparty? The tea party we had while you were in the cast?"</p><p>Amity did remember. "Yeah..." It had formed one pink, bright bubble of warmth in her mind.</p><p>"That night, as I lay there in my sleeping bag, about to nod off, I just felt so happy from everything in my life on the Isles... and d'you know what I thought at that moment?" Amity couldn't guess. "It was: 'I don't ever wanna leave.'" Warm, salty tears were forming in Luz's brown eyes, but she stubbornly refused to shed any. "And I just felt like I'd betrayed mi Mami, because it's true... I don't ever want to leave the Boiling Isles, Amity. And you were right; I might not ever be able to."</p><p>So, that was it: Luz had made herself a home here, a family, and that felt like a massive backstab of her birth mother. Who, if Luz was to be believed, was the polar opposite of Amity's own mother in every way. </p><p>"Just your mother?" Amity ventured, curious despite herself. "Not your father? Was he awful or something?"</p><p>Luz groaned. "Oh, come on! Why does everyone keep assuming my papi was abusive?!"</p><p>"Because... you haven't mentioned him once to any of us when you talk about your life back in the human world?" Amity pointed out.</p><p>"Oh, yeah..." Luz realized. "I haven't, have I? Well, maybe I should start from the beginning."</p><p>They both moved a bit closer to each other before Luz began. "My mom was an immigrant from the Dominican Republic, because my abuelito and abuelita both came to America to find better work. She and my dad met when they were in the same high school -- around our age, in fact -- and they hit it off. They built their lives together from the ground up, and my dad worked as a mechanic while my mom finished her nursing degree, and eventually got a job at a really good hospital." She sighed. "He died in an accident at work when mi mami was two months pregnant with me, and <em>that's</em> why I don't talk about him that much; I never knew him to miss him, much as I would've liked. Believe me, Mami has nothing but kind words for him." </p><p>Amity waited a few moments as they walked along, listening to the sounds of the wind and the sea. "So, your life back in the human realm <em>was</em> rough?" The question was tentative, as Amity knew she walked on thin ice now.</p><p>"I won't lie," Luz replied in a melancholic tone. "It was lonely, because I was the freak; too weird for the weirdos. You blow up glitter bombs in science class <em>once</em>, and you're the last one picked for everything. You make <em>one</em> anatomically correct griffin model, and it's open season to just shove you into everything," There was an unfamiliar bitterness in Luz's voice, and Amity was unsettled. "'Don't have spider breath,' my ass." </p><p>"There really was no one, besides your mom?" Amity really <em>couldn't</em> help herself, could she? </p><p>Luz nodded. "I haven't had the best experiences with people, let alone romantically. There were two, before you. The first was a boy, who I thought I could connect with, because we both liked a lot of the same things, y'know? But when I did work up the courage, he made it very clear that he just wasn't interested, so we separated okay." Luz sighed, and grimaced, as if calling up a painful memory. "The second was worse. Much worse. It was a girl, who was really into a bunch of social movements, and she went for me because I stood up for her against a couple of jerks at a concert. However, when we did confess to each other after a couple months dating, I mentioned that I was bi, not gay. And she just lost it on me, and stormed out. The next day, I got to school, and she'd turned on me completely; she wrote a whole bunch of slurs on my locker, tearing into me for liking boys." She fought back tears, as her voice went quiet and filled with pain. "They were some of the worst things I'd ever seen in my life. And you know what the worst part was? She didn't paint it on, or write it in marker. She'd scratched in the words with a knife, so that they couldn't be removed. I had to look at those things every day, and the school didn't bother to do a thing."</p><p>Amity was becoming more disgusted by Luz's old realm by the minute. What sort of place did that to a person so utterly joyful and bubbly as Luz?! They didn't know what they were missing out on.</p><p>Echo, who'd been riding on Amity's shoulder the whole walk, let out a sad squeak.</p><p>"I know..." Luz sighed to the little dolphin, reaching up to stroke his back. "After that, my mom and I left California to start anew up north... but I wore every bi symbol I had upside down from then on, blue on top, just to spite those people." </p><p>She reached for Amity's hand and took it, and Amity had managed to suppress her huge gay panic, despite Echo's slight dolphin chuckles. <em>Because it's not like the most perfect girl ever is holding your hand right now!</em> Luz's hands were rough, from all the work and training she did in her new home (new home?!), but Amity knew of nothing else that was more gentle, warm, and comforting. </p><p>"So, yeah, I didn't have anyone." Luz grimaced, as if it hurt her to say what came next. "Not even my mom... I know she loved me, and only wanted to help me make real friends by making me more normal... but I don't want to like chequebooks or public radio, blast it!" she shouted. </p><p>Amity could feel the embers of outrage building in her like they had the night she'd had her face scarred, but she managed to crush them down. Getting angry at Luz's mom was not going to be useful right now, even if the thought of anyone trying to change <em>her</em> Luz made her blood boil like water in a kettle. The thought of her Luz -- her crazy, loving, bubbly dummy -- feeling like she had to remove what made her who she was, broke Amity's heart in more ways than one.</p><p>"Is it so bad that I want to learn magic, have adventures, kick ass and have fun in this new world?" Luz asked. "Is it bad that I want to let Eda tuck me in, and Lilith sing to me like she does in the kitchen?" She almost added 'and kiss you on your beautiful lips, Amity?' but she stopped herself quickly.</p><p>"No... it's okay to want to be happy, Luz... I'd like to have all those things too... and I don't want you to leave either..." The last part was a mumble. "It's possible to be too selfless, you know that? If you're not living for yourself, you're not living at all."</p><p>Luz just gaped. "How'd you learn that?" </p><p>"After I gave up so much of what I wanted, convincing myself it was what I needed, but it was just to please my mother. And my face still hates me."</p><p>Echo gave a happy squeak, and Luz let out a giggle. </p><p>"So, if we found a way to just let your mother know what happened, where you are, who you're with, and why you want to stay, would that be enough?" Amity asked.</p><p>"I think it would, yeah," Luz agreed, smiling once again. "Tell her I finally accomplished my dreams..."</p><p>Walking along the cliff path, listening to the sounds of the Isles, Amity found herself telling Luz about <em>her</em> big dream. "...Did I ever tell you why I wanted to get into the Emperor's Coven in the first place?"</p><p>"Your mother?" Luz guessed.</p><p>"Actually, no," Amity answered. "That was all on me, and for two reasons. One, I just wanted to master everything. To make a name for myself in history as the witch who could do it all, you know?"</p><p>"And the other?" Luz ventured.</p><p>Amity sighed. "People look up to those officers; I know I did. Nobody's ever looked up to me for anything before, so I thought that if I could get in there, I could be not only respected, but respectable. I could turn my life around. I wouldn't have to hurt, or lie to, or cheat, or lose anyone I loved ever again."</p><p>A defeated look washed over her face; something Luz never wanted to see again. "For the longest time, I thought I was being good by following the rules to the letter, and making sure others did, too. But, really, it was just to please my mother; to get her to like me. And I lost myself; I hurt so many people, Luz. Not to mention our first interactions, and everything I did to Willow." The tears were starting to form in her eyes, but Amity forced them down; she didn't want to do that anymore. </p><p>"What changed?" Luz motioned, in unfamiliar waters now. There was such an earnestness in Amity's voice that it bought Luz almost to tears, as she stroked the knuckles of the hand she was holding with her thumb. The Grom tree, pink leaves fluttering in the wind, was in sight.</p><p>Amity looked over at her human dummy, and softly smiled. "You did, Luz. You just crashed into the Isles like an unstoppable comet -- because you're not really a human, are you? You're a brightly coloured energy comet in the form of a human." Luz giggled, and Amity went on, "So I just thought, hey, Luz Noceda, you're the first person in fucking years to see past what I want everyone to see, will you be my friend? I mean, I did hate you at first; you looked at magic with a fun and carefree attitude that just mocked everything I'd ever done to my face, and thought it was so damn easy to be a witch." </p><p>Luz sighed, remembering those early days. "I know... I thought I wanted to befriend you because Azura befriended Hecate, but now I see it was really because I wanted to know the real you... when did you start liking me?"</p><p>Amity leaned back against the tree and sunk to the ground, Luz sitting next to her as they looked out over the Boiling Sea. "The library, when we were stuck together in that book. You were just being so silly, so wonderful, that I couldn't help but laugh. For the first time in a long time." </p><p>Luz whispered, just barely above the sounds of the sea lapping against the cliff, "Did you have no one, like me? Did you <em>like</em> like anyone?" </p><p>"I've never loved anyone romantically, and that was even before I knew I only liked girls. I mean, I still go to bed with a stuffed Otabin plushie, holding him close to my chest and wishing someone would hold me like that! What does that say about me?!" </p><p>Luz could see it now; she'd never known a person more touch-starved than Amity Blight. "That you're as lonely as I am? That you wanted a friend like the people in your books, but it hurt because they could only exist in books?"</p><p>Amity could <em>feel</em> her and Luz's connection strengthening; Luz spoke like she'd already been through that. She nodded, and went on; "You remember the part in Azura Book Two, where the Duchess was executed in front of her lover, and she died in his arms?" Amity said, seeing Luz nod in agreement. "I didn't cry. Yeah, I'm horrible," she added upon seeing Luz's brief scandalized reaction. "And I didn't cry at those cute little furry animals in Book Five, either." She sighed. "The one time I did, it was in Book Four, where Hecate sings that lullaby to the little boy she found in the ruined city, before she takes him in as her own. I went out and bought an enchanted copy of the book, just so I could hear the singing." She was getting choked up even now, just thinking about it. "That's what always gets me in stories, that soft fluffy family stuff -- characters being great, loving parents."</p><p>"Because it hits too close to home?" Luz whispered.</p><p>"Yes, it does. I just want to be cared about... I just want to feel loved... damn it, I like being held like a fucking baby!" Amity finished, feeling the tears streaking down her face. </p><p>Luz was quick to pull her into a tight hug once again. As the two embraced tightly, and Amity got her sobbing under control, she found herself hoping that Luz could fulfil her wish.</p><p>And now, it was time.</p><p>"When I told you to go away...it really hurt, for one reason more than any other...I would give anything to say what I wanted to say. It was..."</p><p>Amity took a breath.</p><p>"...That I'm in love with you."</p><p>Luz couldn't say a word -- she'd secretly hoped to hear this ever since the idea took root in her head, but hearing it from Amity was something else. This was it: no turning back now. </p><p>"There's no other way of saying it: I'm in love with you, Luz Noceda. How could I not be? You're caring, brave, an absolute sweetheart, and a delight to be around. You're all of the things I'm not, and I don't know what you could possibly see in me..." </p><p>"What?! That's something I should be asking you, Amity! How could you like me when you're smart, unwaveringly kind, powerful, and fucking <em>hot,</em> and I'm weird, loud, silly, a massive nerd..."</p><p>While Luz was rambling on, Amity had had enough; she leaned in and kissed her. </p><p>It felt like a rocky, seismic explosion went off in her very soul, drowning her in an unimaginable burst of feelings she had never felt before now. Luz tasted of caramel, and her lips were the softest thing Amity had ever felt. </p><p>Once the feelings wore off, Amity broke away and looked, seeing Luz's wide, star struck eyes and slightly open mouth. Amity prepared to blurt out desperate apologies, but Luz silenced her by threading her hands through her hair and kissing her right back. Amity tasted like bubblegum, and it felt <em>right,</em> like they were two matching puzzle pieces.</p><p>It felt wonderful; just like all those songs and poems and books and fanfictions had promised over and over it would. Like being struck by lightning, in the best kind of way. Amity broke the kiss, and pulled Luz in tightly, burying her head into her dummy's neck. She could melt. She could melt right now, and forever be grateful that she was ever alive to begin with. Because Luz was her wish come true and then some.</p><p>"That was amazing..." Amity whispered, clinging tightly to her human. Her mind was in a different dimension, buried in how it felt when Luz kissed her back, of how their heartbeats were now in sync, of the warm tingling wherever her body was in contact with Luz's, of their breaths forming an uneven song.</p><p>"I know, mi bruja..." Luz whispered back, equally lost in the feelings as time itself seemed to stop around her. In that moment, nothing else mattered -- not where they were, not anyone else in their lives, no lingering pains, no torturous pasts -- just this. </p><p>"Wait, huh?" Amity asked, looking up.</p><p>"It means, 'my witch'," Luz explained, grinning a dopey grin. </p><p>Amity laughed, realizing once again how deep their connection ran. "Then I guess I'd better say it: you <em>are</em> a dummy, Luz. No denying it. But now, you're my dummy. You hear me?" </p><p>Luz giggled her soft little giggle that made Amity's heart melt a little bit more. "You bet." </p><p>"I can't believe I waited so fucking long to kiss you," Amity sighed, feeling exasperated and stupid for how scared she'd been of this in retrospect. "Why did we both wait so long for something this fucking amazing?"</p><p>"Because common sense is foreign to both of us disasters," Luz shot back, giggling at herself.</p><p>"Yeah, it is," Amity reluctantly agreed, then her voice hardened to something that brokered no discussion. "Now, Luz Noceda, will you be my girlfriend?"</p><p>"Amity Blight, I would love to," Luz accepted, warm bliss coursing through her like a river. </p><p>Amity's face hurt from her constant beaming smile that hadn't left her face since the second kiss, but she didn't give a damn; her human dummy was now her girlfriend, sealed underneath their landmark, and it was perfect. She leaned in for another kiss--</p><p>"Whoa, wait, hang on," Luz cut in, reaching for her human Scroll, a 'smartphone', it was called. "Let me make it better." </p><p>Amity looked over her shoulder, as Luz searched for a specific song to play in this moment, settling on something she'd named, 'Lapidot's theme.'</p><p>"I know it might not be entirely fitting, but I don't know why everyone thinks it's a loss song. I just think of it as lovers being there for each other, no matter what. And it's <em>so</em> beautiful!" Luz gushed as she put the song on to play.</p><p>
  <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GP4okspbfMM">Lapidot's theme.</a>
</p><p>Hearing it, Amity knew Luz wasn't lying; the song was <em>very</em> beautiful. The two locked eyes again, gold and brown, and their faces shifted to the ones they'd had just before their dance at Grom.</p><p>Amity's face said, "You're mine now."</p><p>Luz's face said, "You're so beautiful." </p><p>Both their eyes said, <strong>"And I love you."</strong></p><p>Amity's arms slipped around Luz's warm shoulders, and Luz's arms wrapped around Amity's equally warm midsection as they both pulled each other closer.</p><p>Their lips met once more... and it was a long, long time before they spoke again... </p><p> </p><p>"So yeah, that's what happened," finished Amity. She was lying on the sofa in the Owl House, her head in Luz's lap. Eda, Lilith and King had all been listening in with rapt attention, and now they were absorbing the story. </p><p>"Okay, fucking whoa," Eda eventually spoke, looking at Amity, "Seriously, kid, are you alright in the head? That's some real heavy shit, even for me!" </p><p>"Edalyn! What did I say about your horribly foul mouth?" Lilith said. </p><p>"I don't know Lily, what <em>did</em> you say? Excuse me for being worried about Luz's girlfriend!" </p><p>"I'm okay, Eda. It's just that my mother said and did a whole lot of things that messed with me for a long time. I'm starting to get better now." Amity said, calm running through her. She was on the cusp of purring, but that was only because Luz was running her hands through her hair. It <em>was</em> incredibly soft.</p><p>"I'm not surprised; old Odie really was a bitch, wasn't she?"</p><p>"For once, I agree, <em>mommy;</em> 'bitch' is the right word." </p><p>"Wait, what?" Amity asked, a bit baffled at the new name for Eda.</p><p>"Yes, that's her name now," Lilith smugly explained, from where she was drowning in the big hoodie she'd found. "Mommy. She hates it."</p><p>"But not from me!" Luz added, as King laughed. </p><p>Eda groaned loudly at how sick all this maternal shit was making her feel. "The lot of you suck, you know that?"</p><p>"Love you too, Mom," Luz shot right back, smiling as usual, and not feeling anything conflicting about how easily it slipped out.</p><p>"But yeah, back on point, I'm surprised that bitch Odie would do that to her kids!" Eda added, gesturing to Amity's face. "Did she ever hit you like that before?"</p><p>Amity grit her jaw. "More times than I care to think about. If it wasn't for the burning, that beating wouldn't even be my worst. The worst one came after the gladiatorial arena I was forced to fight in at thirteen, but that's a whole other story."</p><p>King, who'd been silent for most of the story, triumphantly plopped his favourite stuffed animal in front of Amity. "That despicable creature will rue the day she messed with the romantic interest of my boo-boo buddy! My cuddliest minion is now yours to command!" </p><p>"Even with all my own transgressions?" Amity asked, tilting her head.</p><p>"The occurrence of such crimes against you demand full forgiveness for all previous slights!" King boldly declared. "The King of Demons believes in true honour!" </p><p>Had this happened before today, Amity would've rolled her eyes at how ridiculous he was being. But now, she simply replied with, "The honour is mine, Your Majesty." </p><p>Sitting up straight and pulling King into her lap to cuddle him and his 'minion' properly, Amity went on, "But yeah, it was crushing. I've always been a bundle of snark and caring mixed together, but with my mother's overbearing presence, I just had to project that arrogant air, you know? That's what I -- or more accurately, my mother -- wanted everyone to see me as." </p><p>"Well, thank fuck for your dad, Amity! He sounds <em>a lot</em> like you, you know?" </p><p>"Yeah, I didn't think the old dog had it in him!" added Eda. "Getting the chain holder to let her guard down so he could maul her properly! Genius!" </p><p>Lilith didn't say anything to that; she was too busy thinking of the man with warm, bright gold eyes, his arms wrapping around her frame in the safest hold ever, the rumble of his purr under her ear, and a wolfish grin that made her heart <em>soar.</em></p><p><em>Whatever it takes.</em> </p><p>"I know," Amity agreed. "I actually think about him in the same way I think about Goof and Idiot; I hate and love them equally, and I can't be angry at them anymore." </p><p>Changing the subject, Luz interjected, "So, does that mean you can stay over tonight? It's already kind of late." </p><p>"Yeah, it'll be okay for me to stay over. I actually already sent a message," Amity replied.</p><p>"Oh, good. Mom, Tía, is it okay if she stays over?" The Spanish had slipped out instinctively, and Luz didn't pick up on it until afterwards. And strangely, it didn't feel wrong to say.</p><p>"Yeah, sure," Eda agreed, rolling with the endearment.</p><p>Lilith however, didn't get it: "Tía?" </p><p>"Oh, it's Spanish; means auntie." </p><p>Lilith's mouth dropped open, as Eda started to cackle at the new name for her uptight sister.</p><p>"But...why...?" Lilith began, not daring to believe that someone could be so kind, especially to her. </p><p>"Us wierdos have got to stick together, Auntie Lilith," Luz shot back as Eda continued to cackle. And Luz was surprised at how well it fit, even with everything.</p><p>Seeing that Lilith was about to berate herself again, Luz quickly added in, "The moment I felt I could forgive you, when I heard you were certain I was gonna pull a Darth Plagueis and kill you in your sleep, I just felt most of the anger... well, evaporate."</p><p>"You couldn't be angry at her anymore," Amity muttered, remembering how Willow now felt that way towards her, and she felt it towards her dad. </p><p>"Yeah, pretty much that," agreed Luz. "Besides, this girl right here," she motioned towards Amity, "tried to get me dissected and then got me banned from Hexside when we first met; now we're girlfriends. And that's not even mentioning all the King mishaps, and the things I did to my friends! I choose to forgive you, so we can all move on, Auntie Lilith. And I want to know more about you, so we can, maybe one day, call each other family." </p><p>"Well... thank you, Luz," Lilith eventually sighed, a soft smile on her face. "For being there for Edalyn when I couldn't be, and for having a heart that goes out to everyone. I hope we can <em>both</em> be her real family one day, too." </p><p>"Yeah," Luz agreed. "And also, please never stop singing in the kitchen; your singing voice is amazing!" </p><p>Lilith nodded, smiling a bit more. "Of course." Then her face fell again, as she addressed her darling student. "Amity?"</p><p>Amity sighed, before saying, "I don't know what to think about you anymore, Lilith. I mean, I knew why you did what you did, but my emotions are just getting in the way again. I need more time to think about it, but I will say, you were always far more of a mother to me than my own ever was." </p><p>"Oh...ah...thank you, Amity," Lilith muttered, confused about the conflicting intent in the sentence.</p><p>Amity nodded, then turned her attention over to Eda. "Do you... have any rules for me to follow, now that Luz and I are dating?" she asked, not wanting to step on a patch of thin ice by accident and plunge right through, disappointing yet another mother in her life.</p><p>"Well... just one," Eda began, her face uncharacteristically serious. </p><p>"Look at you, laying down rules, Mommy!" Lilith mocked.</p><p>Eda ignored the jab. "I know there's nothing I can do to stop you two from sucking face, going horizontal, or any of the good, juicy stuff." Noting how Luz's entire head was now the colour of Amity's facial scar, Eda grinned crookedly and barrelled on. "You two are good kids at heart, so the only rule is don't do anything where I, or anyone, have to see it. You've both earned my trust; be careful, and come to me with any questions you got." Her smirk turned even more sinister. "Now, do we need to have <em>The Talk?</em>" </p><p>Luz finally broke. "Dios mío, Eda, for the love of Satan, no! My mom is a nurse, and we're both bi! I've had it already!"</p><p>"Aw, nuts, I wanted to see your reaction," Eda groaned. "But yeah, that's the rule; make sure none of us walk in on you two."</p><p>"Okay," Luz groaned back, letting out a long breath.</p><p>"What about you, Puppy?" Eda asked Amity.</p><p>"Ah, does getting one from your big sister count? One that covers the gay side of it that most people just have no idea about, no matter what team they swing for?" Amity replied, also clearly uncomfortable, and not just because of the topic -- the image that 'Puppy' bought up, of a big soppy dog and his little puppies snuggling up next to the fire made Amity feel achingly warm and safe inside.</p><p>"Yeah, okay," Eda replied, deciding to have mercy this time. </p><p>"Thank you, Mom, Tía, we'll be down for dinner!" Luz shouted as she grabbed Amity's hand and led her upstairs in a headlong, panicked charge. Upon hearing Luz's bedroom door slam shut, Eda let out another of her signature cackles.</p><p>"You're awful, Edalyn," Lilith huffed, but couldn't stop the small grin playing on her lips.</p><p>"Hey, if I'm going to take in a bunch of dumb kids, and all the responsibilities that come with it, I should at least get the fun bits too," Eda shrugged.</p><p>Lilith could only roll her eyes, a giggle bubbling out of her throat. "You trust them to work out all their sex issues on their own?"</p><p>"Yeah, I don't see why they can't. Besides, can you imagine the kind of kids they'd have?"</p><p>An image of both the girls a few years older, and cradling a toddler with Luz's hair and jaw and Amity's eyes and ears, flashed across Lilith's mind. Seeing it in her mind's eye caused her to subconsciously let out a soft gasp and hold a hand over her heart.</p><p>"Yeah, you can," Eda laughed.</p><p>"They're with me for Slithermas," Lilith quickly blurted out. </p><p>Eda's face dropped like a boulder as she folded her arms. "What? Who said you get them then?"</p><p>"Because I said so first. You snooze, you lose."</p><p>"Fine. But that means I get them for the Solstice. Deal?"</p><p>"Deal. And that means Alador gets them for the Jademoon?" </p><p>"Sure." They shook hands.</p><p> </p><p>Luz slammed the door behind her, clearly still deeply embarrassed about the interaction with Eda. Amity took this chance to properly examine Luz's room, given that the only other time she'd set foot inside, training for Grom had been encompassing her mind. </p><p>It clearly had been a storage room before Luz; half-melted candles, boxes kicked into corners, furniture that looked like it had been scavenged from a thrift store several years ago, and old, peeling cream paint. But the human memorabilia in it clearly showed it was Luz's.</p><p>"So," Amity began as she sat on the creaky bed, in an attempt to change the subject, "you're okay with calling Eda 'Mom' now?"</p><p>"Mostly," Luz explained, sitting next to Amity on the bed. "I use 'Mom' or 'Mommy' to refer to Eda, and 'Mamá' or 'Mami' to refer to the woman back home who gave birth to me." </p><p>Amity nodded as she lay down on the bed -- that was softer than she'd expected -- and gestured for Luz to come lie down next to her and snuggle. Luz, ever the snuggler, happily obliged. </p><p>Scrolling through her 'smartphone', Luz found another piece of music to put on in the background, that she'd titled, for some reason, 'The Lonely Astronaut Song.' </p><p>"You've got a lot of those," Amity noticed. "Where'd you find the time to listen?"</p><p>Luz gave a morbid laugh. "You'd be surprised at what you can do when you don't have a social life. It's a lot of time for you to study pop culture. And the mainstream just can't appreciate greats like this."</p><p>
  <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlnKfgaJIZY">The Lonely Astronaut song.</a>
</p><p>As it began, Amity already loved it; she looked forward to listening to Luz's entire collection. And as they lay there on the bed, the snuggler human pulled the scarred witch in for another embrace.</p><p>Now that they'd confessed their love to each other, Amity was really noticing Luz -- and how beautiful she really was. Now that she was gripping Luz's arms, shoulders and back whenever they embraced -- and something told Amity she'd be doing a lot more of that -- she could feel Luz's muscles. Clearly, her time on the Isles had improved her fitness. As they embraced as the song kicked in, Amity could feel the shifting and flexing of Luz's dark skin beneath her grasp, and felt her entire body flush with warmth. Her ears were flapping uncontrollably, and she was very thankful Luz couldn't see them. </p><p>But she forgot that she could feel them: "Are you... into my muscles, Amity?"</p><p>Realising she'd been found out, Amity felt her face going as red as her scar, so she buried her head into Luz's neck. "...Yes," she squeaked out.</p><p>"Hey, it's cool," Luz reassured. "I won't judge; I mean, I think that your scar's really cool!"</p><p>"It is?"</p><p>"Yeah! The ones that go over an <em>eye</em> are the best!" </p><p>Amity lightly laughed, recalling her dad's offhanded comment. "You're one of those girls that find facial scars attractive?"</p><p>"I guess I am," Luz agreed, snuggling even closer, as if she was some hybrid of an otter and an owl.  </p><p>Their lips crashed together once more. Just like before, it felt as if the world around them vanished and the only thing that mattered was the feeling of their lips on each other's. As Luz moved to deepen the kiss, however, she squeaked as something unexpected... and sharp... brushed against her lips. She knew it was Amity lightly biting her lower lip... and that meant...</p><p>"You're getting fangs?!" she blurted out.</p><p>"Oh, you noticed?" Amity smiled a huge grin, showing that her canines were longer and sharper than the rest of her jaw, but all of her teeth were still a perfect pearly white. "Ed and Em's both started coming in at this age too." </p><p>Luz meant to say 'Oh, wow,' but her mind was so muddled by the thought of her girlfriend having fangs that she actually said, "That's so hot!"</p><p>"You're actually the first person to call me hot, did you know that?" Amity sighed out. </p><p>"What?" Once again, Luz was aghast. "How can people not see that? They're missing out!"</p><p>"I know; if there's one thing that my mother gave me and the twins that was undoubtedly good, it was her looks," Amity agreed, finally letting loose a contented, rumbling purr, deep from within her chest.</p><p>Luz's eyes once again grew wide with joy like a child's; a precious sight for Amity to behold. "Those witch anatomy classes in the Healing track were right?! Witches purr when they're happy?"</p><p>"Yeah, they do," Amity confirmed. "But it's something only done around close friends and family, so I've not really done it often."</p><p>"Really?"</p><p>"Yes. Ed and Em are absolute twats through and through, my mother would've probably slapped me for being immature, my dad wasn't around that much, I wasn't that close with Lilith and especially not Boscha and her lackeys, and even with Willow it was only about once a week."</p><p>"Eso es tan lindo! It's so adorable! It's the cutest thing I've ever seen from you!" Luz gushed out, clearly not bothered by it.  </p><p>Amity only smiled back at her, showing her fangs once again, before lying her head back and gazing up at the ceiling, content to just lay there with the song in her ears and the human girl she loved. After a few more moments to soak in the comfortable atmosphere, she began softly purring once again.</p><p>Luz broke the silence by speaking up; "I can't believe I didn't see it before now; that Grom silhouette was me, right? The person you wanted to ask was me?"</p><p>Amity softly laughed, as the memory of that part of the night shifted from a bittersweet one to an amusing one. "Yes, it was you, Luz. It's always been you." </p><p>"And I feel like an absolute idiot for not seeing it too," Luz added, grin clearly present in her voice. "And the Grudgby match? 'Cute uniforms? Sweating?'" she mocked.</p><p>"Luz, please!" </p><p>"Sorry, sorry." To make up for it, Luz pulled Amity into another deep kiss, threading her hands through her soft auburn hair. The both of them worked their lips against each other, their foreheads pressing ever closer together. They broke away to breathe, only to giggle like they were pre-schoolers with a secret.</p><p>Amity gave Luz her most beaming smile, as if she was the most beautiful thing in the entire universe.</p><p>Luz, returning Amity's smile, leaned in to give her yet another kiss on the lips, one of many more to come. </p><p>With the song playing in their ears, they lay there together in a tight embrace for a long while, idly playing with each other's hair and skin, delighting in how compatible they were. They stayed like that for a few more moments, but each one felt like a glorious hour. </p><p>"We could be a sitcom couple at this rate," Amity muttered once the song ended, goofy grin on her face. </p><p>Luz smiled her beaming, one-point-twenty-one gigawatt smile. "Yes! My recklessness and your cynicism would be <em>amazing</em> entertainment! The bottle episodes would be <em>gold!</em> And imagine the <em>fans!</em>"</p><p>"How would we even crush our names together?"</p><p>Luz thought about it for a moment, before bursting out laughing. "Amuz!"</p><p>Amity snickered. "Dummy! That is not how you do it!" She swatted her in the face with a pillow, before re-adjusting herself on the bed. "Besides, I like Lumity better."</p><p>Luz gradually stopped laughing, wiping a tear from her eye as a crooked grin spread across her smug face. "Lumity, huh?" She smiled, leaning over to kiss her Amity, her <em>bruja,</em> quickly on her nose. "I like it too."</p><p>Amity grinned right back, nothing but warmth in her eyes.</p>
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